3-1 after 0-1

LIVE: Penalty! Müller equalizes for WSG against WAC

3-1 after 0-1 – WSG Tirol managed to prevail against Wolfsberger AC after struggling in the first half...(Bild: GEPA)

WSG Tirol celebrated an important victory in the relegation battle of the Austrian Bundesliga on Saturday!

In the 25th round, the Tyroleans defeated the struggling WAC 3-1 (0-1) after an early shock. Jessic Ngankam put the Carinthians ahead (9th min.), but Valentino Müller from the penalty spot, Ademola Ola-Adebomi (77th min.), and Moritz Wels (94th min.) turned the game around in WSG’s favor. Their lead over bottom-placed Blau-Weiß Linz grew to eight points. WAC’s lead, meanwhile, stands at just four points. The Carinthians suffered their eighth consecutive away defeat at Innsbruck’s Tivoli Stadium. In the Bundesliga, they remained winless for the ninth consecutive match.

WAC Gets Dream Start
Yet the struggling WAC got off to a dream start. Dejan Zukic broke through down the right flank and played Ngankam free in the center. The Frankfurt loanee, after a perfect first touch, skillfully slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. WSG quickly shook off the early shock, and Moritz Wels had the equalizer at his feet. From a central position, however, his shot was too central (19).

As the match progressed, WSG took more and more control, but often lacked the decisive idea in the final third. WAC largely limited themselves to defending and waiting for counterattacks. However, these posed no danger. As a result, there were no further scoring chances until the halftime whistle.

Turnaround in the Second Half
This changed abruptly after the restart. Wels hit the inside post after a precise cross (49'). At the other end, Rene Renner slammed the ball against the crossbar (55'). After Wels had once again been denied by WAC keeper Nikolas Polster, a long-range shot from Taferner struck Renner’s hand. Captain Müller coolly converted the resulting penalty to score the long-overdue equalizer.

In response to the goal, WAC also ramped up their offensive efforts. Ngankam powered his way through in the penalty area, but his shot hit the side netting. (70'). The turning point ultimately came from a set piece. After a corner, the ball found its way to Ola-Adebomi, who headed home the go-ahead goal. In stoppage time, Wels also had reason to celebrate: the youngster came out on top in a one-on-one with Polster this time.

The result:
WSG Tirol – Wolfsberger AC 3:1 (0:1)
Innsbruck, Tivoli Stadium, 1,180 spectators, Referee Harkam

Goals: 0–1 (9') Ngankam, 1–1 (59'/penalty) Müller, 2–1 (78') Ola-Adebomi, 3–1 (94') Wels

Yellow cards: none

WSG: Stejskal – Boras, Lawrence, Kubatta – Naschberger (60. L. Sulzbacher), Taferner, Müller, Böckle – Wels, Ola-Adebomi (91. Hinterseer), Baden Frederiksen (78. Sabitzer)
WAC: Polster – Matic, Wohlmuth, Wimmer, Renner – Sulzner (83. Agyeman), Kujovic – Gattermayer (84. Kojzek), Zukic, Avdijaj (69. Atanga) – Ngankam

Post-match comments:
Philipp Semlic (WSG coach): “Of course , it wasn’t ideal to start the qualifying group with two losses. But we kept our cool and remained calm even today after falling behind 0-1. That was certainly a tricky situation. But my team came out of the break with a lot of energy and conviction. We then created a lot of scoring chances. That speaks volumes and makes me very proud. It was certainly an important step toward avoiding relegation, but nothing more.”

Ismail Atalan (WAC coach): “We simply allowed too many set pieces today. We knew how dangerous WSG is in those situations. That’s how we let them back into the game. We just have to take the blame for that. We need to make sure we become more solid in those situations. Now we have to keep working. We played a good game against Altach two weeks ago, and the first half was good today as well. But one thing is clear: we have to defend better.”