Hard-fought match

Draw! WSG Tirol battles for a point against SV Ried

WSG Tirol and SV Ried shared the points.(Bild: GEPA)

In the 20th round of the Austrian Bundesliga, WSG Tirol and SV Ried shared the points. After the visitors took the lead through Antonio Van Wyk in the 22nd minute, it was Valentino Müller who scored in the 71st minute to make it 1-1. 

SV Ried suffered a setback in the race to qualify for the Bundesliga championship group. In Maximilian Senft's 100th competitive game as head coach of the Innviertler, the promoted team could not get past a 1-1 (1-0) draw at WSG Tirol on Sunday. Antonio van Wyk (22nd minute) gave Ried a well-deserved lead. However, Watten rewarded themselves for their improved performance in the second half with an equalizer from Valentino Müller (71st minute).

After sharing the points in Innsbruck, Ried slipped out of the top six and are now one point behind Rapid in seventh place. WSG are now tenth, four points behind sixth place, which means their slim chance of reaching the championship group is practically gone.

Ried deservedly take the lead
 Riedinitially had much more of the game at the Tivoli Stadium. The Watteners were busy in defense and were unable to make any impact in attack. The visitors had three corner kicks in the first ten minutes, and Michael Sollbauer almost scored early on from one of them. Alexander Eckmayr, who was called up to replace Adam Stejskal, who was injured in the eye, was really tested for the first time (6th minute). His workday was going to be an intense one. In the 22nd minute, the moment finally arrived. After a long throw-in, Van Wyk took the ball well at the edge of the penalty area and finished calmly into the far corner.

Julius Taferner(Bild: GEPA)

WSG woke up after conceding the goal, enjoyed more possession in the opposition's half and started to threaten the opposition's goal. However, Ried had the better chances to make it 2-0 on the counterattack. Eckmayr successfully saved a shot from Nicolas Bajlicz (35'), then Nikki Havenaar hit the top of the crossbar with a header from a free kick in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Julius Taferner had already left the game for the Tyroleans. The midfielder landed awkwardly after an aerial duel and had to leave the field with an ankle injury.

WSG steps up the pace after the break
Semlic's team came out of the dressing room improved. After two shots from the home side were blocked, a header from David Kubatta was cleared just before the line (62'). Here, too, a set piece from a corner kick was the starting point for the action. Lukas Sulzbacher made his comeback for WSG after a long injury break and was able to celebrate with the team a few minutes later: Müller scored with a left-footed volley after a rehearsed corner kick variation following a cross from Nicolai Baden Frederiksen. It was the midfielder's ninth goal of the season.

Ried was punished for its increasingly passive play. Senft brought on fresh attacking players to revitalize his team's game. Yusuf Maart had another chance to score the "lucky punch" after a corner in the 92nd minute. However, the South African shot well over the bar.