Before Lustenau home game

Statistics cause concern for BW Linz in relegation battle

Ronivaldo (r.) is under pressure with blue and white(Bild: GEPA)

It all kicks off at 5pm on Saturday! That's when promoted BW Linz kick off the qualifying round of the Bundesliga with the all-important home game against Lustenau. A fierce battle against relegation is looming, with one statistic in Altach's favor - but not exactly for the blue and whites.

Lustenau 2, BW Linz 0! That's what the scoreboard in the Ländle showed after the last basic round match, which BW Linz coach Gerald Scheiblehner posted on instagram and commented: "We strike back!" On Saturday (17), when the "re-match" in Linz as well as Altach - Austria and WSG Tirol - WAC will kick off the qualifying round that will decide who will be in the 1st Bundesliga. The Blue-Whites still have four of their nine-point lead. "But let's take the 'still' out of our heads! Sharing the points is unfair in sporting terms, but four points is also something, it's a good starting position," said the coach.

Altach picked up 16 of their 19 points (84%) against the teams that now await them in the qualifying round(Bild: Honorar)

However, one statistic could give his club cause for concern: the points gained by the qualifying round teams against each other (above). As in the real table, Austria and WAC are at the top, but then it happens: Of the quartet of four relegation candidates, SCR Altach, who are tied on points with Blau-Weiß in real terms, prove to be true experts for "basement duels", picking up seven points more! The Vorarlberg side have scored 84% of their points so far against clubs from the bottom of the table, while Linz have only 47%, scoring more against top teams such as Salzburg, Sturm and LASK. 

Will Blau-Weiß be able to celebrate relegation in the end?(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Start is extremely important
If Altach continue like this, it will come down to a trio in the relegation battle - in which, in contrast to the real table, the Blue & Whites do not have a considerable lead with WSG Tirol and Lustenau, but are only on a par with them. This could be exciting! "There are also countless other statistics," says coach Scheiblehner, who will probably replace the suspended Koch with Briedl in defensive midfield and the injured Joao Luiz (Achilles tendon tear) on the wing with Gölles, and remains cool: "We have to perform with energy and conviction, take the fans with us, remain courageous, even if the situation is difficult - then we can do it! The first few games are extremely important!" A win today would put them seven points clear of Lustenau!