At the old rival

GAK: Hot duel against Linz’s “twin”

Daniel Maderner (r.) and the Red Jackets want to continue their recent run.(Bild: GEPA)

In the duel with the "Linz twin" Blau-Weiß, the GAK wants to get rid of the red lantern on Sunday (14.30)! Sporting director Didi Elsneg sees a number of parallels at the sold-out summit of the last two promoted teams in Linz (with 600 Reds making the pilgrimage).

The mental relief from the first league win against Wattens did us a lot of good, admits Didi Elsneg: "Because this topic was on everyone's mind." Of course he would like to be rid of the red lantern before the winter break: "But we're not going to give out a points plan. We have to continue to play as solidly as we have in the last three games, stable, compact and with good transitional moments. The boys and the new coaching team are doing that very well. There's incredible energy in there again!"

Elsneg is therefore confident that his squad will not sleep through the first half (0:2) as they did in the 2:2 first leg in Graz, but will be as committed this time as they were in the chase to catch up after the break.

GAK sporting director Didi Elsneg sees parallels with their most recent opponents.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

BW Linz is an old rival that was already a promotion rival in the second division and stole the title from GAK two years ago - but there is no resentment: "The appreciation for the Linz managers Schösswendter and Scheiblehner is very high. The club has similar opportunities to us. There are parallels."

The club's own beautiful Hofmann-Personal-Stadium speaks for blue and white, while the youth work thanks to the A-license academy speaks for the GAK. "The path through the second division, with a lot of consistency and stability, is similar," says Elsneg, "as is the way of playing soccer. Blau-Weiß secured relegation last season through patience, consistency and teamwork, we are currently in the process of succeeding in the new league through compactness, balance and goal threat."

While budgets and transfer values are comparable, the fan potential speaks in favor of the Reds (average attendance 6287 to 5456 per GAK) - the Linzers, however, have a real goalscorer in Ronivaldo (8 goals): "We try to take him out of the game as a team, which we did quite well against Beljo, Burgstaller and Konate recently. It's also good for us that Dani Maderner is well on the way back to his second division form. He's always good for a goal."

Blue & White goalscorer Ronivaldo (l.) is the big scare for Filipovic (r.) & Co.(Bild: GEPA)

Tip for Linz? "I expect a brutally competitive game between two teams with a similar style of play. Little things will decide. It's definitely important for the attractiveness of the Bundesliga that these two clubs have made it back into the top flight."

Update on the Ulmer case? "Andi is a top professional who has been working hard on himself since the summer, but we'll have to see what happens with his match fitness - the tendency is more towards the new year."