Manfred Schmid
Wiener Austria is bottom of the Bundesliga! After the 2: 2 against Sturm, coach Manfred Schmid tries to see the positive.
Sturm and Austria have a thrilling exchange of blows in the fifth round of the Bundesliga on Sunday. After falling behind, Sturm first turned the game around, then conceded the equalizer in front of 12,000 spectators in the Merkur Arena. Marco Djuricin hits twice against his ex-club Sturm, and Manprit Sarkaria is only cautious about his equalization against former employer Austria Wien.
The Grazers hold ten points after five match days, five points behind the flawless Salzburgers second. Austria retains the Red Lantern with only three points and is still waiting for their first win of the season under coach Manfred Schmid. Next week, the Vienna derby will rise against Rapid, which on Sunday moved up to third with a 3-0 win against Ried.
“It was a very good football game that could have turned in both directions in the second half,” said Austria coach Manfred Schmid after the final whistle. “In the first half in particular, the match schedule worked well, we had important ball wins and good switching situations. It was the best performance since I've been with Austria. My team has morale and the necessary physical fitness.”
Of course, the Violette's coach also saw points that need to be improved. “In the two post-break situations that led to the goals conceded, we weren't close enough to the man,” he said. The Violets have until Sunday to work on it. Then the Vienna derby against arch-rival Rapid in their own stadium is on the program.
