Victory Over Lustenau

LIVE: Goal! Lustenau immediately ties the score in Hartberg

Home win for TSV Hartberg(Bild: GEPA)

On the eighth matchday of the Austrian Bundesliga, TSV Hartberg celebrated a 4-3 home victory against newly promoted Lustenau. Markus Schopp’s team took the lead as early as the eighth minute but subsequently fell behind at one point.

Hartberg emerged victorious from this emotional Bundesliga roller coaster ride. On Sunday, TSV Hartberg defeated Austria Lustenau 4–3 after taking the lead and trailing 1–2 at halftime, and remains in fifth place in the upper half of the Bundesliga standings. Marco Hoffmann shone with three goals. After suffering its fourth loss of the season, the newly promoted team from Lustenau sits in ninth place, three points behind.

Hartberg took the lead in their home stadium eight minutes in on a counterattack. Benjamin Markus played a long pass to Angelo Gattermayer, whose cross into the center found Hoffmann. The 22-year-old scored from close range. Lustenau was completely disorganized at 0–1 but had a fitting response ready. Albin Gashi shot the ball through the legs of Hartberg goalkeeper Armin Pecsi from a tight angle (11th minute). Konstantin Schopp beat the offside trap on the way to the 1–1 equalizer.

Marco Hoffmann(Bild: GEPA)

Hartberg applied more pressure for much of the first half but squandered several half-chances and lacked decisiveness in their own penalty area just before halftime. Dominik Weixelbraun was the quickest to react after a blocked long-range shot by Lord Afrifa. After the Rapid loanee’s fifth goal of the season, Lustenau coach Markus Mader was able to discuss an efficient away performance at halftime.

  Markus Schopp, meanwhile, remained seated on the bench for a few moments with a pensive expression. His team pushed hard for the equalizer after the restart. Ten minutes in, it happened. Domenik Schierl managed to parry a powerful, slightly deflected shot from Youba Diarra, but Hoffmann pounced to score his second goal of the match—and his fifth of the season (55th minute).

Another Turn of Events After the Break
Now the visitors were reeling, and shortly afterward, Hartberg had turned the game around. Schierl came far off his line against Hoffmann, who was sprinting down the middle, and could only clear the ball by chance as he slid. Nikolaus Feldhofer, making his first-team debut, scored into the empty net from 30 meters (60th minute). Mader responded minutes later with a five-player substitution. Hoffmann missed the chance to make it 4–2 when he fired wide while alone in front of Schierl (74').

Vorarlberg had chances to earn a point. Alieu Conateh was unable to get past Pecsi on two occasions. Hartberg then capitalized on the open spaces to seal the victory. Hoffmann tapped in a cross from Andrija Radulovic (86'). Weixelbraun’s second goal was merely a consolation (93').

Hartberg is now unbeaten in six games heading into their away match at Rapid. Lustenau has still only managed to earn a point on the road against Sturm (1–1). Ahead of their matches against LASK (h), Rapid (a), and Salzburg (a), they sit three points clear of the bottom of the table.