Image: GEPA pictures
Two VAR interventions, two exclusions against Austria Klagenfurt: The video assistant referee played a decisive role in Andreas Herzog's successful home debut as Admira coach on Saturday. Admira won against nine Klagenfurters thanks to goals from Stephan Zwierschitz (67th), Onurhan Babuscu (71st, 77th) and Emanuel Aiwu (92nd) 4-0 (0-0). Kosmas Gkezos (12th) and Nicolas Wimmer (39th) each flew after feedback from the VAR area.
Austria is still waiting for the first victory since promotion, the coaching duel of the Erzrapidler Herzog (52) against Peter Pacult (61) went to the younger. The Admira extended their successful home streak against Klagenfurt in the Bundesliga to 10-2-1. In the coming week, Admira will be in Ried, Austria will receive Hartberg.
In front of 1,637 spectators in Maria Enzersdorf, both teams were aiming for their first win of the season after sharing points at the start. The game had barely picked up speed when it was over again for Gkezos. The Austria captain stepped on Marlon Mustapha's foot in the center circle with an open sole, referee Stefan Ebner showed the defensive chief three minutes later after the intervention of the video assistant referee (VAR). First Gkezos had seen the yellow card.
Admira tried hard afterwards, but seldom as dangerous as in the 16 th minute: A long high ball slipped through to Dominik Starkl, who was aiming past Philipp Menzel's goal on a clear path (16 th). Only Mustapha radiated danger again towards the end of the first half. Cvetko steered a shot from the Mainz loan over the gate (34th).
Five minutes later, Nicolas Wimmer was only able to stop the breaking Mustapha with a foul. Ebner pulled out yellow and corrected himself again after consultation with the VAR colleagues in Vienna-Meidling and studying the TV pictures. Austria was only nine from the 39th minute, after three halves of the game in the upper house, three Carinthian players flew off City square.
The Austria-Bank foamed, arguments and yellow cards against the supervisors were the result. After all: The promoted team actually saved the 0-0 without any problems in the half-time break – and got in the mood for the upcoming defensive battle.
Starkl didn't use his second top chance either, chasing the ball at penalty height with reserve well over the goal (49th) and was replaced by Joseph Ganda after just under an hour. In between, little happened until Kerschbaum initially missed another huge chance in the 62nd minute from close range. A little later, Zwierschitz made it 1-0. Against the placed low shot of the Austria returnee, Menzel, who hardly had a ball to hold, was powerless.
The resistance was broken, Babuscu used an inadequate clarification from Carinthia to 2-0 (70th) and flicked the ball to the 3-0 final score in the far right corner (77th). It was the first two Bundesliga goals for the 17-year-old. Mustapha was denied such a goal, his goal did not count due to offside (79th). In stoppage time, Aiwu headed out a corner after a runaway victory.
