On Saturday Red Bull Salzburg are to meet FC Wacker Innsbruck, currently placed last in the T-Mobile Bundesliga.
Although Giovanni Trapattoni would not wish to acknowledge it, the fact remains that the major discussion point in the run up to the match will be how great Salzburg’s winning margin is.
Champions Salzburg have picked up wins in each of their past six home matches against the likes of Arsenal, Ventspils and Donetsk, as well as Altach, LASK and Ried in the league. Innsbruck, on the other hand, are currently propping up the table and are the only side yet to win a game this season.
Rarely have the Bulls been such heavy favourites, nevertheless the team will need to be fully alert going into the West Austria derby after Sunday’s disappointing defeat to Rapid Vienna.
Alexander Zickler: “It’s clear to us that we MUST win on Saturday, on the one hand so that we can keep pace with the top of the table and on the other hand so that we can fly to Donetsk with a success under our belts. Anything other than three points against Innsbruck would be fatal!”
Salzburg have beaten their Tyrol neighbours in all four previous home meetings in the Red Bull era, with a 14-2 goal count in their favour. The last time Innsbruck picked up a win in Salzburg was back in April 2001, thanks to a goal from Markus Scharrer, who later played for Salzburg.
Taking a look at the past four matches between the teams also underscores the Bulls’ favourite’s tag, with the champions winning three of the four encounters.
17/05/07 FC Wacker Innsbruck 0-2 Red Bull Salzburg
17/03/07 Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 FC Wacker Tirol
12/11/06 FC Wacker Tirol 2-1 Red Bull Salzburg
26/08/06 Red Bull Salzburg 4-0 FC Wacker Tirol
Saturday’s match will hopefully provide another treat for the home fans at the Bulls Arena, with experience suggesting that they are guaranteed something to cheer. Red Bull Salzburg have now netted at least once in each of their past 26 home ties.
