Lap preview – pursuer Fortuna challenges leader Retz

The three additional games on Tuesday brought even more spice to the state league autumn. With the top game between Retz and Fortuna Wr. Neustadt on Saturday can even offer a real delicacy over the weekend. But let’s take a quick look back.

The UFC St. Peter caused a surprise in the aftermath against Korneuburg, winning 4-1 after an early deficit. SCU Kilb prevailed in Langenrohr with the same result and seems to have managed to turn the trend around after a mixed start. The Rohrbach crisis is being prolonged. They also came away empty-handed against the Admira Panthers and, like Ortmann and the SKN Juniors, are still winless.

Rising stars reach for the stars

For the Südstadt residents, who have now made it to the podium places, things continue on Friday in Schrems. The Granitstadters have conceded more goals at home than any other team in the first regional league, the Admira Panthers, for their part, feel quite comfortable in their opponents’ place and have only lost once away. However, veteran Philipp Malicsek is missing the newcomer due to knee problems.

Zeitlhofer as an encourager

SG Ardagger recently lost out twice in a row – now it’s about turning the trend against Langenrohr. “The rest of the program is absolutely doable, we saw that against Zwettl.” “I am convinced that if we are even more consistent at the back and even more courageous up front, we have even more confidence that we can score the points in the final third,” says coach Peter Zeitlhofer in advance.

Langenrohr is – with two games less – still two points ahead of the Mostviertel team. The supplementary rounds could be problematic. “We’re starting to have to see how we can accommodate all of these games.” This is already getting exciting. “We want to try to accommodate all alternative appointments during the week,” explains section head Anton Resch. What speaks for the guests on Friday: Most recently, the away teams prevailed in the direct duels between the two teams (twice 0-1 in the previous season).

Korneuburg is missing the clipper

In the home game against Zwettl, last year’s runner-up Korneuburg will have to do without their top scorer. Armin Mujakic (nine goals) was shown yellow-red in St. Peter and is therefore suspended on Friday. Lorenz Grabovac is injured.

The guests from the Waldviertel suffered their first home defeat last week. “We’re going there as outsiders,” says SCZ coach Christoph Pomassl before the trip to Korneuburg. “But we want to take something with us.” That didn’t work in the spring – the Zwettler suffered a 1:4 defeat.

Ortmann and the long dry spell

There is also an urgent need for points in the Piestingtal. The still winless SG Ortmann will have to deal with the strong newcomer Ybbs. And he wants to continue his run. “We have seen that everyone can win against everyone in the league,” says coach Philipp Zulechner, who will adjust his team to Ortmann. “I hope that we go home with three points again.” The Ybbser record can be improved abroad, and this applies even more to the Ortmann home appearances – they have only brought one point to the account so far.

Juniors have been waiting for a “threesome” for 17 games

Keyword: lack of victory – the young wolves from St. Pölten are also still waiting for the liberation blow. The task will not be easy. Newcomer Stockerau. The team of ex-national player Andreas Ogris started with two defeats, but then followed up with three wins. In the last three games there were two defeats and one success. “We weren’t significantly inferior in any game and deserved one or two wins,” says Juniors coach Abdullah Tabarrant, hoping for an end to the negative run. The SKN has been waiting for a three-pointer across all seasons for 17 games (!).

Bitter for the state capital: Dominic Heigl suffered a torn ankle ligament and joins the long-term injured Joel Stückler and Dominik Lovrinovic. Maximilian Frech and goalkeeper Erik Baranyai-Uvestad are fit again.

Mostviertlers match up with the “half-time heroes”

At the end of the home game week, the UFC St. Peter welcomes the team from Scheiblingkirchen. Korneuburg could already be plucked in the addendum: “I am confident that we will also get points here,” says section leader Andreas Döcker with a view to Friday’s game. Against a team that always needs a little time to get going, but can always buy new things in the finish.

In the “second half table” Dominik Kirschner and Co. are at the top. With an imaginary 21 points, USV Scheiblingkirchen leads this detailed ranking. “I would like to say that it is because of my good language during breaks,” smiles USV coach Daniel Kohn. The real reasons are elsewhere: “We can use our physical strength to improve and develop even more power than the opponent.”

A cracker in Retz

Against Zwettl, the Retz team still scratched the curve. But the people of Weinstadt don’t have time to catch their breath, the next “hit” is already waiting for them on Saturday. None other than the second-placed team from Wiener Neustadt, against whom there were two bitter defeats in the previous season, is stopping by.

For coach Andreas Haller, a team “with enormous quality”. And for almost all clubs in the league the top favorite for the championship title before the start of the season. Once again we can expect a rush of spectators at the sports field.

“Retz is a top team and is completely right where they are.” I’m looking forward to a game in front of a lot of spectators,” said Fortuna coach Christoph Stifter, who had the Retz team on the bill even before the start of the season, guessing the now leader also in the top three in the NÖN survey.

The statistics speak for Wiener Neustadt. On the one hand, the SC remained unbeaten in the last ten away games (the last winning streak was broken in the 2-2 draw against Kilb). On the other hand, because the direct duel in the previous season ended with a Wiener Neustädter victory – 4:0 in the Ergo Arena, 2:1 in Retz, after a deficit and exclusions against Stifter and co Kevin Kinker.

Rohrbach only scored two away goals

The derby is once again a game of fate: Rohrbach is now under even more pressure after the unfortunate home defeat against the Panthers (1:2) in Kilb. The bottom team has lost all of its away games so far this autumn and has only scored twice away from home. After a mixed start, the Kilbers only have a home win.

“We want to win, with all respect for the opponents, they are strong, but we want the victory,” says Kilb coach Milan Vukovic.

The next round:

Friday, 7.30 p.m.: Schrems – Admira Wacker Panthers (Javornik), Ardagger/Viehdorf – Langenrohr (Sebastian Reiss), Ortmann – Ybbs (Strauch), SKN St. Pölten Juniors – SV Stockerau (Kastenhofer), Korneuburg – SC Zwettl (Tobias Eder); 8 p.m: St. Peter/Au – Scheiblingkirchen (Marcus Pottendorfer). Saturday, 4 p.m: SCU Kilb – SG Rohrbach/St. Veit (Tomislav Ivankovic), Retz-Fortuna Wr. Neustadt (Adrian).