After a late goal by Hannes Aigner from Tyrol against the Vorarlberg team, the record champion did not get past 1:1. Salzburg scored twice in Mattersburg in injury time.

Rapid – Altach 1:1 (1:0)

The SK Rapid Vienna has missed its home kick-off in the Bundesliga. Despite a long lead against SCR Altach on Saturday, the Hütteldorfers did not manage to get past 1:1 (1:0) and had to give up their lead in the standings. After a goal from Deni Alar (35th), the substitute Hannes Aigner (88th) managed to equalize.

Rapid started at temperatures well above 30 degrees with practically the same formation that had defeated the Admira 3-0 last week. Only Maximilian Hofmann was missing due to muscular problems in the calf. In his place, Mario Sonnleitner and the new defensive chief Mateo Barac formed the central defense.

At Altach, instead of Aigner, double goalscorer Adrian Grbic stormed at the opening against Mattersburg (2:3) for the time being. The Vorarlberger acted in a very defensive system with a five-point chain, thereby allowing little clear goal scenes in the initial phase. Rapid only came to many harmless standard situations for the time being. A free-kick from Christoph Knasmüllner went over (10th), Alar did not take the ball with him after a good pass from the midfielder (29th).

Five minutes later, however, Alar struck for the first time after his return from Sturm Graz to Rapid. After a cross from Boli Bolingoli, captain Stefan Schwab returned to Knasmüllner by head. His attempt to shoot landed directly at Alar, who finished at the lead deserved at that time. Rapid also had half chances through Andrei Ivan (18th, 43rd) and a dangerous header from Barac (45th).

On the opposite side, Barac had blocked a shot from Manfred Fischer in 16 (19th). The Croatian did the same shortly before the break with an attempt by Grbic – but with his hand raised. Grbic rightly claimed penalty kicks, but was not awarded them.

After a change of sides, the action changed abruptly, Altach was suddenly the much more active team on the grass in the Allianz Stadium, which had been affected in some places by a fungal infection. Emir Karic missed a shot (49th) and Philipp Netzer missed a goal due to offside (60th).

Rapid only regained better control of the game in the middle of the second half, but Knasmüllner missed the big chance for the preliminary round. The 26-year-old came to the ball after a cross pass from substitute Veton Berisha on the five ball, but only hit the right inner rod (75th).

That was revenge: Joshua Gatt, who had replaced Aigner, duped Sonnleitner on the left side, Barac Aigner left far too much space in the middle and the experienced player headed in. It was the 37-year-old’s third goal of the season in the second league game. Aigner, who has been responsible for all the Altach goals so far, is also leading the scoring list ex aequo with Salzburg’s Munas Dabbur.

This time Aigner’s marksmanship was enough to win the first point. Knasmüllner was once again close to a goal, but after its lift and move to the goal, Jan Zwischenbrugger saved with the help of the rod (90.). A final header from Alar in injury time went just over the goal.

Rapid not only conceded the first goal in the third compulsory game of the season, but also did not leave the pitch as the winner for the first time. The dress rehearsal for the first European Cup appearance, the first leg of the Europa League qualifying round at Slovan Bratislava, also failed.

Hannes Aigner Honours 

Austria Wien

• Austrian Cup (1): 2007

FC Magna Wiener Neustadt

• Austrian Football First League (1): 2008–09

FC Wacker Tirol

• Austrian Football First League (1): 2003–04

Mattersburg – Salzburg 0:2 (0:0)

Football champion Salzburg celebrated a hard-fought 2:0 last-minute victory at the start of the 2nd Bundesliga round on Saturday in Mattersburg. After having unsuccessfully started over 90 minutes against the defensive bulwark of the Burgenlanders, Andre Ramalho (93.) and Munas Dabbur (95.) only replaced the “cops” in injury time.

The duo thus not only ensured the Salzburg team’s preliminary lead in the standings, but also a successful dress rehearsal for the Champions League qualification. There, the Macedonian champion Shkendija Tetovo will be received on Wednesday.

The most conspicuous change in Salzburg’s eleven was on the defensive: Stefan Lainer, who had given vent to his disappointment at the burst change to Napoli at the beginning of the match, was sick and lacking. Because Patrick Farkas (cruciate ligament rupture) was not available either, the central midfielder Enock Mwepu took his place. Newcomer Zlatko Junuzovic played in the league for the first time from the start, with Reinhold Yabo in the storm alongside Munas Dabbur.

For Salzburg it was the expected tedious game against a massive defensive with a strong body, at agonisingly high temperatures. They were not able to build up danger for a long time – a good 73 per cent of possession before the break did not help. A header from Dabbur from an acute angle, which Markus Kuster parried (21.), and a wafer-thin long-range shot by Xaver Schlagers (45.+1) passing the goal remained the only actions worth mentioning. Even if the guests acted starting from the 30. minute clearly more powerfully and more dangerously. If you are looking for a casino with a remarkably large number of slots then InterCasino is the place for you.

The fact that it was Mattersburg’s newcomer Marko Kvasina, who provided the greatest chance so far with a bang to the top bar (44.), was at least curious in view of the offensive restraint of the Burgenlanders. It was only after the side change that the home side looked for the way forward and managed to get their first two corner shots out. Kuster had to clear the corner by foot against Hannes Wolf (56th), shortly after he defused a threatening Yabo flank (58th) and successfully intervened against Dabbur (63rd).

From then on, Salzburg had taken command again, but finally broke up in the defense of the Burgenlanders or their own inability: Mostly the precision was missing, and the standards (a total of 14 corner shots) were mostly too harmless. The substitutions of Amadou Haidara, Smail Prevljak and Takumi Minaminos, who were last awarded to Mattersburg, did not bring the desired success either.

When time ran out, long shots became the means of choice. Kuster was at the post against Haidara (86th) for the time being, Mwepus’s attempt narrowly missed the goal (91st). But then Ramalho’s shot came and he hit the goal via the inner rod. Two minutes later, Dabbur increased to 2-0 after the desperate Mattersburger had lost the ball.