Fans started pouring into the Hannapi a good 45 minutes before kick off for the 294th Vienna derby. Both teams had got off to relatively inauspicious starts in the league, so the pressure was on both teams ahead of the captial city clash. Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink made his debut in green white in attack alongside Atdhe Nuhiu, while talismanic skipper Steffen Hofmann overcame recent injury troubles to take his place in the starting line up. Stefan Kulovits made his return to the middle of the park to battle alongside Heikinnen in a combative looking Rapid engine room.The pre match display from the block west left the onlookers in no doubt which colours rule Vienna, as a huge 50ft banner baring the cities name covered the entire stand. Austria got proceedings underway with the stadium reaching fever pitch. Raimund Hedl took his place in front of the block west as Hesselink looked to open his account for the club in front of the Austria supporters. As early as the second minute Rapid got on the front foot. Sonnleitner picked up the ball inside the Austria half, ghosted past Linz and put a low cross in from the right. Nuhiu gathered the ball and after a quick turn fired narrowly wide of away keeper Almer's far post.After 4 minutes, Nuhiu again got himself a sight of goal, his header from Katzer's cross clearing the bar. The recalled Andy Dober tried his luck on ten minutes. A Kavlak corner found it's way to the Rapid full back who struck the ball from the edge of the area on the half volley. Despite a good connection the effort was comfortably gathered by Almer.Rapid came close to breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute. Steffen Hofmann orchestrated a flowing move that opened up the Austria defence and found newboy Hesselink in space in the penalty box. The striker struggled to the ball out of his feet however and dragged his effort wide. A minute later the visitors threatened for the first time as Hedl spilled a driven free kick. The mistake went unpunished as Roland Linz couldn't adjust in time and the ball went wide of the upright. A minute after the half hour mark, Veli Kavlak beat his man and fired off a 25 yard effort, forcing Almer into a full stretch dive to keep it out. Despite some promising openings, Rapid were finding it difficult to get noteworthy efforts on the Austria goal. Kavlak's attempt drew a save from the away keeper for the first time in the game. The visitors were finding life even tougher, with a few free kicks in Rapid territory the sum of their efforts to this point.It was the violets though, who nearly snatched the lead on the stroke of half time. An intelligent Baumgartlinger pass put Junuzovic in in the left hand side of the Rapid area. The austria wide man played a tantilising ball across the 6 yard box, but the lurking Linz couldn't apply the killer touch and the ball went behind for a corner. The half time whistle went at perhaps a good time for both sides with the game drifting somewhat. Steffen Hofmann once again carried a large creative burden for the Hütteldorfers. Peter Pacult would certainly be looking for more spark from other areas of the pitch in the second period.  Rapid emerged for the second half showing no changes to the starting lineup. Nuhiu fired the first Rapid effort of the half just wide three minutes after the restart, the tall hitmans powerful volley from just inside the box rebounded off the stantion behind the goal. The opening 10 minutes of the second half fell into much the same pattern as the first as both sides laboured to create chances or get meaningful posession in their opponents half. Jun threatened to break through the Rapid bacline in the 58th minute but he was outpaced and out muscled by Sonnleitner who stamped out the danger with authority.Pacult made the first change of the afternoon on the hour mark, replacing tired looking debutant Vennegoor of Hesselink with Hamdi Salihi.  The breakthrough finally arrived in the 63rd minute, but it was the fans in violet celebrating. An awful decision to attempt to play offside came back to bite Rapid as a simple Baumgartlinger pass to Linz found the Austria captain in acres of space in the Rapid box. The Austrian international slotted home the simplest of chances with the freedom of the Hanappi to give the visitors the advantage. Rapid would now really have to raise the tempo and go in search of an equaliser.Pacult made the second switch of the afternoon with a little under twenty minutes to play, as Christopher Trimmel came on for Andy Dober. Steffen Hofmann moved into the middle of the park with Trimmel playing wide right. Stefan Kulovits switched to right back to fill in for Dober.The changed nearly paid instant dividends as Trimmel did well to work himself some space on the far right of the pitch and flash a viscious ball across the goalmouth. Hamdi Salihi got to the ball first but couldn't force the ball over the line from a distance of a matter of yards.Pacult's final throw of the dice saw Saurer introduced with Kavlak exiting the proceedings. More poor defending nearly cost Rapid again with 10 minutes to play, as casual defending from Kulovits saw Junuzovic nearly steal in. The Austria man went down in the area during the incident, but thankfully referee Schörgenhofer spotted the comical dive, and rather than a spot kick awarded a yellow card.Hamdi Salihi again spurned a guilt edge chance to rescue a point for Rapid with 6 minutes left, his close range header from a Hofmann cross failed to hit the target. It represented one of Rapid's best chances of the half and really demanded that the keeper be made to work.A flurry of half chances fell Rapid's way in the closing stages, but crucially Austria keeper Almer was time and again not forced into action. In added time, the green whites managed to fashion the almost inevitable opening. Trimmel took posession in the Austria box and had time to line up his effort. As was the story of the day, his low drive again failed to hit the target and with the chance went Rapid's hopes of salvaging a point. It was another disappointing day at the office for Pacult's side. The team still look hungover from the Europa League exploits in Birmingham, but with a gap now opening at the top of the league, it's important to get back to winning ways as soon as possible. A daunting trip to Portugal to face Porto awaits the Hütteldorfers on thursday. It could provide the perfect tonic and an opportunity to get back to winning ways.7th round:SK Rapid - Austria 0:1 (0:0)Hanappi-Stadion, 17.500, SchörgenhoferGoal: Linz (63.)SK Rapid: Hedl - Dober (72./Trimmel), Sonnleitner, Soma, Katzer - Hofmann, Heikkinen, Kulovits, Kavlak (79./Saurer) - Nuhiu, Vennegoor of Hesselink (60./Salihi)Austria: Almer - Klein, Margreitter, Dragovic, Suttner - Liendl (90./Vorisek), Hlinka, Baumgartlinger, Junuzovic - Jun (86./Stankovic), LinzYellow Cards: Dober Suttner, Junuzovic, Dragovic(gw)
31.08.2015