James Holland (39th) was the goal scorer for interim coach Christian Wegleitner’s team. Austria had to survive the final phase of the match with fewer players after Moritz Wels was shown a yellow-red card for excessive violence. With their play-off victory, the Viennese at least achieved their minimum goal in a mixed season. They will enter the next season in the second round of qualifying for the UEFA Conference League (25 July and 1 August).
For interim coach Wegleitner, it was the fourth win in four games. The Burgenlander is now moving back into the second row, and will work as an assistant under the new head coach. Wegleitner made only one change to the visitors compared to the first leg, with the recovered Reinhold Ranftl playing instead of Luca Pazourek. For Hartberg, goal scorer Maximilian Entrup and Dominik Prokop slipped into the starting eleven.
debate
What remains of the Bundesliga season?
Initial phase belongs to the guests
The opening phase belonged to the guests, Andreas Gruber was stopped after 75 seconds by TSV goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger. A little later, Gruber again missed the lead when he shot over the goal from a free position (9th minute). After a quarter of an hour, coach Markus Schopp’s team got into the game better. A counterattack via Mamadou Sangare and Donis Avdijaj was cleared by Matteo Meisl in a moment of need before Entrup could score (20th minute). A minute later, Christian Früchtl was on hand to stop a shot from the team striker.
Entrup missed the best opportunity in the 25th minute when he played Früchtl after a long ball from Kainz, but slipped slightly on the wet ground and only hit the post from a tight angle. The ball rolled towards the goal line, and Johannes Handl finally prevented it from crossing it.
Holland shoots from the edge of the penalty area
Austria now made waves with standards. After a corner, Tin Plavotic was free to head the ball, but Sallinger prevented the deficit with a great save (35th minute). Gruber then had to go off due to a thigh injury and Wels came on for him (38th minute). Another corner gave the visitors the lead: The East Styrian team failed to clear the ball cleanly from Dominik Fitz, Holland took the ball down with his chest and scored with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area in what may be his last career game.
APA/Erwin Scheriau Holland’s shot from the edge of the penalty area also brought Austria the away victory
Schopp’s team came onto the field with renewed vigor after the break. Entrup missed the chance to equalize quickly, but Früchtl parried his shot (49th minute). The hosts pressed on, but were too awkward with the final pass. After just over an hour, bad luck struck, and Prokop only hit the inside post after a fine individual effort. From there, the ball bounced into the arms of Früchtl, who had already been beaten (59th minute). On the other side, Fitz missed the chance to decide the game twice, but Sallinger was on the spot both times (61st, 65th minute).
In the final phase, the match became increasingly hectic, and TSV regained hope after a yellow-red card for Wels for repeated foul play (83′). However, the Violets defended their lead with passion. This was the third time that Austria mastered the last-minute qualification for the European Cup via play-offs. The Viennese had already managed this in 2021 and the previous year. For Hartberg, however, there was no happy ending after a strong season. The Styrian team did not pull off the coup like they did four years ago (against the “Veilchen”) and missed out on the tickets for Europe.
Voices about the game:
Markus Schopp (Hartberg coach): “If you look at the two games, Austria was a bit better. They were the team that unfortunately forced their game on us more than we forced ours on theirs. So it was deserved. It wasn’t meant to be today. Austria’s quality doesn’t allow you to miss so many chances in these two games, and that’s why we have to accept it.”
Christian Wegleitner (Austria interim coach): “The result is fine over two games. But we also know that if the shot (from Maximilian Entrup, note) that hit the post had gone into the goal, it would have been tough again. Ultimately, Hartberg played what they least like – those long balls that we defended really well. I would like to take my hat off to the team.”
Admiral Bundesliga, European Cup play-off, return match
Tuesday:
Hartberg – Austria 0:1 (0:1)
Profertil-Arena, SR Altmann
Tor: Holland (39.)
Hartberg: Sallinger – Heil, Compost, Bowat (77th/Diakite), Pfeifer – Sangare, Kainz (86th/Rats) – Frieser (77th/Fillafer), Avdijaj, Prokop (60th/Providence) – Enthrup
Austria: Früchtl – Handl, Plavotic, Meisl – Ranftl, Holland, Fischer (67./Potzmann), Guenouche (67./Krätzig) – Gruber (38./Wels), Fitz (91./Pazourek), Asllani (46./Schmidt)
Yellow-red card: Wels (84./excessive harshness)
Yellow cards: Prokop, Sallinger, Sangare and Fitz, Früchtl, Schmidt
First leg: 1:2 – Austria with an aggregate score of 3:1 as play-off winners in the second round of the qualification for the UEFA Conference League
