Peter Pacult was forced into making a couple of changes in the Rapid rear guard. Hannes Eder and Stefan Kulovits came in at full back on either flank, replacing Dober and Katzer who were suspended by yellow cards and injured respectively.The opening period was fast and frenetic with Rapid looking good and well on top. The Green-Whites almost capped a fantastic start but were denied by the width of the post on 5 minutes. Nikica Jelavic rose in a crowded box to meet Steffen Hofmann's corner, his powerful header rebounding off the woodwork with Branko Boskovic unable to capatlise on the follow up. The hosts then snatched the lead, Pink's cross nodded home by the lurking Kaufmann to give the basement boys a flimsy advantage.The home sides' strike barely registered with Rapid who simply upped the tempo. The tide of pressure told and parity was restored barely three minutes after falling behind. Hofmann found Kavlak who continued his recent good form, turning the home defence inside out before slotting home a richly deserved leveller. The Hütteldorfers continued to surge forwards and nearly got their noses in front, instrumental skipper Hofmann again the provider for Jelavic, whose rising shot just cleared the bar.Inevitably it was Hofmann who put Rapid 2 - 1 up, displaying his ice cool nerve from the penalty spot following a Gramann handball. It was the talisman's 13th of the season which represents his best return in a Rapid shirt, surpassing his previous best of 12 the season before. Livewire winger Christopher Trimmel came into the action slightly earlier than he may have anticipated, replacing the unfortunate Boskovic, withdrawn after being injured. Rene Gartler had two opportunites to double Rapid's advantage on the stroke of half time but firstly his header found only the side netting shortly before his goal bound drive was blocked was desparate home defending and cleared.The Green Whites emerged from the half time team talk showing an unchanged line up and looking to pick up where they left off. Nikica Jelavic' busy afternoon in front of goal continued, his left foot drive looked to be heading for the back of the net only for Rapid to be cruelly denied once again by the woodwork. Kärnten then incredibly managed to land a sucker punch, Gramann atoning for his earlier misdemeanor by heading the hosts level in the 53rd minute. Five minutes later Jelavic again found that luck seemed to have deserted him as his smart effort arrowed narrowly wide.Another Hofmann set piece this time found its way to Soma. The big Norwegian's header was scrambled away by Schranz in the home goal and Gartler just failed to convert the second ball. The young hitman was instrumental in Rapid regaining the lead in the 71st minute though, setting up Trimmel whose shot rattled in off the underside of the bar to give the scoreline a look of feasibility. Following a great shift, Jelavic finally got his name on the scoresheet, meeting Trimmel's cross to sew the game up with a fourth and final Rapid goal of the afternoon. 27th round:Austria Kärnten - Rapid Wien 2:4 (1:2)Hypo-Group-Arena, 5.600, Referee Brugger Goals: 1:0 Kaufmann (12.), 1:1 Kavlak (15.), 1:2 Hofmann (28./Penalty), 2:2 Gramann (53.), 2:3 Trimmel (71.), 2:4 Jelavic (82.)Austria Kärnten: Schranz - Sollbauer, Elsner, Gramann, Salvatore - Riedl (68. Pusztai) - Pucker (27. Hinum), Hierländer, Dollinger, Kaufmann - Pink (46. Sandro)SK Rapid: Hedl - H. Eder, Soma, Patocka, Kulovits - Hofmann (84. Pehlivan), Heikkinen, Boskovic (37. Trimmel), Kavlak (79. Drazan) - Gartler, JelavicYellow Cards: Gramann, Riedl Soma, Hofmann, Kulovits(gw)
31.08.2015