Sturm Graz in the knockout phase: Rapid Vienna on the verge of elimination – Salzburg is fighting!

Sturm Graz in the knockout phase: Rapid Vienna on the verge of elimination – Salzburg is fighting!

The sky over Salzburg was cloudy, but the atmosphere on the pitch couldn't be better. Red Bull Salzburg scored an important victory in the Europa League and bounced back impressively with a 2-0 win against Go Ahead Eagles. This was the first point win in the current European Cup season and a real liberation for the team. While Rapid Vienna came away empty-handed in the Conference League and took over the red lantern with a 0-1 draw against Craiova, Sturm Graz is holding up the field somewhat after a 0-0 draw against Nottingham. Kicker reports that all three Austrian clubs are outside the coveted top 24 at the halfway point of the league phase.

The Rapid Vienna game was a bitter setback for coach Peter Stöger. Despite all their efforts, the team remained without points and only has a 13 percent chance of qualifying for the knockout phase. Before the upcoming games against Rakow Tschenstochau, Omonia Nicosia and Zrinjski Mostar, Rapid urgently needs to score points in order to have any hope of progressing. Stöger said that the team gave everything, but that the defeat was ultimately deserved. Noen reports that the Viennese are currently in last place in the Conference League table.

Chances for Sturm Graz

Sturm Graz, on the other hand, has collected at least four points and could reach the knockout phase with a probability of 41 percent. This is noteworthy, especially considering the team is ranked 25th with a goal difference of -2. If Sturm Graz continues to play like this, they could definitely achieve promotion in the next few games. Kicker highlights that Sturm has the best cards in the race for the knockout phase, while Salzburg is left behind with only 8 percent probability of promotion due to a difficult remaining program.

The rest of the program is anything but a walk in the park for Salzburg. The Red Bulls face strong opponents including Bologna, Freiburg, Aston Villa and FC Basel. They are currently in 28th place with three points. In comparison, the last team to make it to the knockout phase – Backa Topola – would have needed seven points last season with a goal difference of -3. Salzburg has to improve enormously if they still want to have a chance of progressing.

Austria's football scene in the European Cup

The current challenges in the Europa and Conference League are also reflected in the overall rating of Austrian football. Despite the uncertain situation, Austria remains in the top 15 in the UEFA five-year ranking, which means that five Austrian clubs will be represented in the European Cup next season. Der Standard points out that the elimination of other European clubs has consolidated Austria's position in this ranking.

So all we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope that our home teams turn things around in the coming weeks. The great potential of Austrian football has often been shown beyond the country's borders, and we are excited to see whether we will be able to inspire the fans with success this time too!