Final in the relegation battle: GAK saves itself, Blau-Weiß Linz has to go down

Caught cold turkey

The home team, who relied on their home strength in the decider, were caught cold early on by the Red Devils from Graz: After a header from goalgetter Ronivaldo narrowly missed the goal, the GAK surprised the Linzers with a quick counterattack.

BW captain Seidl bought one catastrophic mismatchLichtenberger shot from 25 meters – and suddenly GAK was 1-0 ahead (6th) and Linz already needed two goals.

Impact hit

The early deficit was an effective goal, especially because the GAK followed up and didn’t allow the blue and white to really get into the game with their aggressive approach. While the Linz team kept getting stuck, the GAK found several chances to score the second goal.

BW goalie Mantl had to save his team from losing another goal twice against Harakate (39th, 42nd).

Deserved relegation

Shortly after the break, Ferdinand Feldhofer’s team rewarded themselves for their courageous and determined performance in this explosive match: Hofleitner completed a beautiful ball relay with the deserved 2-0 (51st).

The Linzers’ resistance had not yet been broken, but no one seemed to believe in the sensation and a catch-up race anymore. Frustration erupted in the stands: GAK defense chief Pines was hit in the face by a beer cup.

Weak autumn

In any case, Linz’s relegation is no coincidence and is anything but undeserved. Without the division of points, this showdown in the last round would not have happened in the first place. The Linz team lost their chance of staying in the league in the autumn when coach Mitja Mörec only got ten points in 15 league games.

WAC im Play-off

In the shadow of the relegation duel between Blau-Weiß Linz and GAK, another decision was made on Saturday: For WAC, who were at the bottom of the table with three rounds to go, the season continues: With the 2-0 home win against WSG Tirol, Wolfsberger secured their participation in the European Cup play-off.

On Tuesday we will be away against Rieder, who suffered their third defeat in a row in Altach (0-2).