Ried scores

3-2 after being down 0-2! BW Linz wins a wild Upper Austrian derby

Derby victory for FC Blau-Weiß Linz(Bild: GEPA)

Bottom-of-the-table Blau-Weiß Linz has sent a strong signal of life in the Bundesliga relegation battle! On Saturday, in a thrilling Upper Austrian derby at home against SV Ried, Linz fell behind 0:2 early on, but managed to turn the game around while playing with a man advantage and earned a well-deserved 3:2 victory. With eight rounds remaining, Blau-Weiß narrowed the gap to WAC, the new second-to-last team in the relegation group, to four points.

Peter Kiedl put Ried ahead 2-0 with a brace (3rd minute, penalty; 18th minute). However, after Ried midfielder Nicolas Bajlicz was sent off (30th min.), coach Michael Köllner’s team fought their way back. Alexander Briedl (54th min.), Simon Seidl (64th min.), and Ronivaldo (83rd min./penalty) secured the Blue-Whites’ second win since early October.

Many changes in Ried’s starting lineup
Three days after the 120-minute, unsuccessful Cup match against LASK—which saw a “season record in sprinting distance,” as Maximilian Senft revealed—the Ried coach made significant changes to his lineup. Senft brought in six new players, including three first-time starters—Dominik Kirnbauer, 18-year-old Jussef Nasrawe, and Joris Boguo—and fielded only one player over the age of 22 in midfield and attack.

Ried’s game plan worked initially, however, and the visitors were already celebrating a lead in the third minute. Nico Maier struck Jonas Mayer while attempting to clear the ball in the penalty area, and Kiedl confidently converted the resulting penalty. The player on loan from Sturm Graz made it 2-0 with his second shot on goal following a cross from Fabian Rossdorfer.

Shon Weissman shot over the bar from a promising position (29'), and a minute later, the home side seemed to have an even better chance to pull one back. After Bajlicz shoved Briedl, referee Christian-Petru Chiochirca showed the Ried midfielder a red card and awarded a penalty. However, the VAR review showed the foul occurred just outside the penalty area; instead of a penalty, a free kick was awarded, which came to nothing.

A surge brought three points
In front of a full house and with a man advantage, the Linz team launched asurgeafter the break that was ultimately rewarded. Briedl took a shot from 18 meters and found the near corner; Seidl tapped in the equalizer after a header by Alem Pasic hit the crossbar. The Blue-Whites pressed on, and the Ried penalty area saw frantic action on several occasions. After a foul by Mayer on Thomas Goiginger, Ronivaldo finally scored the much-celebrated winning goal from the penalty spot.

The result:
FC Blau-Weiß Linz – SV Ried 3:2 (0:2)
, Linz, Hofmann Personal Stadium, 5,595 spectators (sold out), Referee: Ciochirca

Goals: Briedl (55'), S. Seidl (65'), Ronivaldo (82'/penalty) and Kiedl (3'/penalty), Kiedl (18')

Red card: Bajlicz (30., professional foul)

Yellow cards: Reiter and Rasner, Kiedl, Boguo

BW Linz: Mantl – Pasic, Maranda, Varesi-Strauss (76. Goiginger/93. Fofana) – Reiter, Briedl, Cvetko (40. Ronivaldo), Bumberger (76. Riegler) – S. Seidl, Weissman, Maier (92. Pirkl)
Ried: Leitner – Kirnbauer, Havenaar, Steurer – Rossdorfer (57. Bajic), Rasner (58. Maart), Mayer, Nasrawe (46. Scherzer) – Bajlicz – Kiedl (71. Mutandwa), Boguo (80. Van Wyk)