Home double to start: Neo-Hartberger Schmid looking for victories

After five games, the East Styrian team, still without a win, is at the bottom of the Bundesliga table, but the upcoming home double could significantly improve the situation. On Thursday (6.30 p.m. live Sport24 live ticker), WSG Tirol will play in Hartberg in the sixth round supplementary game, and on Sunday Altach will be guests in Styria.

Schmid hopes for quick success

Schmid was introduced on Sunday evening as Markus Schopp’s successor. The Viennese is taking over an “intact, motivated team” in Hartberg, as he emphasized. The possession football he prefers was also practiced in Hartberg under Schopp. Schmid is therefore hoping for quick success: the magical yield of three points should increase in the next few days. “Time was short now. But the goal is clear: to win the two upcoming home games.”

Under interim coach Markus Karner, Jürgen Heil and Co. narrowly missed out on the three points at the weekend. In the 2-2 draw in Klagenfurt, the Carinthians only equalized with a penalty deep in injury time. Schmid, who had long been considered the new TSV coach, was an observer. In addition to the three training sessions before his debut, he also had a lot of meetings to attend.

“This is a very stable team”

“The team has good, strong leaders combined with young talent,” said the 53-year-old, who saw potential. Against WSG, individual class will be the most important factor. The Tyroleans defended heroically in the 0:0 draw against Salzburg. “They are a very stable team, it won’t be easy against them,” said Schmid. In addition to Elias Havel, who is out injured for a longer period, he will also have to do without Aaron Sky Schwarz, who is ill.

The Watteners are currently on tour. After Hartberg, the next stop is Wolfsberg next Sunday, so the team and coaches will remain in the southeast of Austria. Coach Philipp Semlic will react flexibly to the castling on the Hartberg sidelines. “He has made his mark with Austria Vienna and WAC. You already know more or less what is coming,” said Semlic about Schmid.

Coach Semlic relies on “network strength”

The focus is on his eleven anyway. Hartberg’s individual qualities will be used as a collective to counter WSG. “The results do not reflect their level of performance. That makes it difficult for us. But we also managed to beat Salzburg as a team. That will be the focus tomorrow,” said Semlic. Wattens is currently in tenth place in the table with five points from six games. It is still important to bring the “basics” onto the pitch, said Semlic. “Otherwise we have no chance in the league.”