Six points in four days are required after Vienna loss.

Champions want to be back in top spot – with violas not violins!
Bulls face Michael Streiter’s old side.
Preview: Red Bull Salzburg v Cashpoint Altach,
Wednesday 27/02/2008 – 7:30 pm Bulls Arena.

There was a bitter defeat on Saturday in the battle for the championship.

Red Bull Salzburg lost in Vienna to leave them with just one point from nine against Austria Vienna this season, missed points they could well end up cursing.

The champions now face the familiar situation of having to win in front of the own fans. This week the Bulls are to have home advantage twice in just four days, an advantage that they would like to and quite simply must utilise.

First to visit the Bulls Arena are Cashpoint Altach this Wednesday. With four points from two matches the champions firmly have the upper hand between the two sides this season.

The first home match against the team from Vorarlberg in Western Austria finished 4-1 in the Bulls’ favour. That was the first match of the season and saw Patrik Jezek scoring the quickest goal in Bundesliga history after ten seconds. Alexander Zickler also netted two goals during the July encounter.

Away from home, the Bulls were leading until the 83rd minute when Daniel Gramann grabbed an equaliser. With the champions missing out on important points in the final few minutes, this match reflects the tone of much of the season.

Altach have been in great form in 2008 so far, picking up a draw at Austria Vienna and pulling off a surprise win over their city rivals Rapid.

Salzburg should beware the fact that the eighth-placed provincial club are unbeaten in two away matches: 1-1 at Austria Vienna and 3-3 in Mattersburg.

On Wednesday Salzburg will nevertheless be favourites going into the match. It remains to be seen whether the team will be heeding Giovanni Trapattoni wise words. The coach said: “Football is no dream concert with all the musicians playing violins, you need to go and do something to get a result, you need to grind out a win. Sometimes you need violas!”

Red Bull Salzburg have won no less than four of their last six matches against Altach, drawing the other two. The goal difference stands 13-3 in the Bulls’ favour.

The last 6 matches between the teams:

Cashpoint SCR Altach 1-1 Red Bull Salzburg, 23/09/07
Red Bull Salzburg 4-1 Cashpoint SCR Altach, 11/07/07
Cashpoint SCR Altach 0-2 Red Bull Salzburg, 21/04/07
Red Bull Salzburg 1-1 Cashpoint SCR Altach, 02/12/06
Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 Cashpoint SCR Altach, 14/10/06
Cashpoint SCR Altach 0-2 Red Bull Salzburg, 22/07/06

Missing against Altach will be Niko Kovac (flu), Manuel Pamic (thigh), René Aufhauser (calf) and Jorge Vargas (suspension).