Rapid have shown plenty of quality in attack, but their recent 5-1 defeat in Salzburg exposed serious defensive weaknesses. Wolfsberger AC, for their part, must face the Vienna side without both their defensive leader and their top scorer.
Rapid look to reset after Salzburg defeat
Rapid opened the Bundesliga season with four wins from four and sit third with 12 points. Their run finally came to an end in the rearranged fixture away to Red Bull Salzburg, where the Green-Whites suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat.
There were still some encouraging signs in possession in Wals-Siezenheim. SK Rapid built attacks well for long spells and regularly found solutions in the first two thirds of the pitch. Defensively, however, they made glaring mistakes and allowed Salzburg far too much space in dangerous areas. Haris Tabakovic in particular was afforded too much time and room for both of his goals. Last Saturday, Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side progressed in the cup with a 5-2 away win over Austria Klagenfurt, where similar patterns emerged. Rapid’s combination play in attack continues to impress, but their defence looked vulnerable even against regional-league opposition.
WAC’s start has been considerably more mixed. After opening the season with a 3-0 win over Austria Vienna, they collected only two points from their next four league games. They were also reduced to ten men early in both the 0-0 draw with GAK and the 3-1 defeat to LASK. With one win, two draws and two defeats, WAC currently sit eighth.
WAC lose Wimmer and Vrioni
The injury situation in Wolfsberg is particularly painful. Captain and defensive leader Nicolas Wimmer suffered a cruciate ligament injury in the cup tie against Parndorf and will be sidelined for several months. The 31-year-old brings considerable experience and will be difficult to replace. Wimmer may not be the quickest defender, but his physicality, competitive edge and strength in the air make him a key figure.
Centre-forward Giacomo Vrioni will also miss the Rapid game. The striker suffered a minor muscle tear and is expected to be out for two to three weeks. With four goals in five league appearances, he is WAC’s leading scorer so far.
New signing Dominik Fitz at least adds creativity. The former Austria playmaker, who has returned from MLS, can be particularly dangerous from set pieces. That could become an important factor against Rapid, especially as Thorup considers WAC a physically strong side and wants his team to avoid giving away unnecessary free-kicks around the penalty area.
WAC coach Thomas Silberberger is embracing the situation: “Given how the season has gone so far, we naturally go into the game as underdogs. But we want to accept that role and get back to the level we showed at the start of the season. If we do that, we can also get a result against SK Rapid.”
Rapid boosted by returning options
Rapid’s injury situation is easing at least to some extent. The game comes too soon for Jakob Schöller, although he could return as early as the following week. Claudy Mbuyi recently picked up minutes again in Klagenfurt and his workload is set to be increased gradually.
Jannes Horn is once again fully available after another complete week of training, while Ange Ahoussou is also an option for the matchday squad. Dominic Vincze is expected back in two to three weeks, with Daniel Nunoo set to be reintroduced gradually after the next international break. Jean Harisson Marcelin and Martin Ndzie, however, will require more patience.
Defensive balance the focus for Thorup
Thorup used Rapid’s first full training week in some time to work not only on attacking patterns but also on the defensive issues that emerged in Salzburg. Positioning inside the box, defending passes in behind the back line, dealing with switches of play and improving midfield cover were all key areas of work.
The Rapid coach expects a somewhat different WAC side from last season. Wolfsberg now look to reach the final line more quickly, commit several players close to the ball and then compete aggressively for second balls. Rapid will therefore need to keep their distances compact when pressing high and avoid leaving too much space in front of the back four.
