The signs weren't good prior to kick off: despite being named in the starting line up captain Steffen Hofmann was unable to feature due to his ongoing back problems. His place was taken by Marcel Sabitzer, himself recovered from recent injury, whilst Christopher Dibon also returned to the squad following his own lay off.Reduced to tenThe early stages though saw Rapid take the upper hand: Louis Schaub burst forward and shot just wide as early as the second minute. Whilst Marcel Sabitzer was the next to try his luck: his decent strike went just wide of the far corner (10.). Our cross city rivals had their first sight of goal when Gorgon got a firm contact on a cross but directed his header straight into Jan Novota's midriff (20.). One of the key incidents of the afternoon unfolded in this passage of play when Stephan Palla, already on a yellow card, lunged in on Dilaver and took his man at a dangerous height. The referee correctly produced a second yellow card and Palla's afternoon was brought to a premature end (26.).It was import for the numerically inferior Rapid to steady the ship, and this they achieved, managing to keep their surprisingly toothless opponents in check. The game played out until the half time whistle with neither side looking like creating a clear cut opportunity.Rapid press after the breakThe start of the second half ushered in the best period of the game for the Green & Whites: firstly Austria goalie Lindner was forced into action, tipping a Petsos effort over the bar (52.), before Mario Sonnleitner headed just over from a corner (53.). Shortly afterwards Guido Burgstaller swung in a dangerous cross but Marcel Sabitzer was unable to capitalise on the opportunity (54.). Any hope the visitors from Favoriten had of getting on the score board seemed tied up in set pieces - be it free kicks or corners, although even the execution of dead ball plays was disappointing from Austria. It was our side who fashioned  the best chance of the game on the hour mark: Christopher Trimmel rose highest in the Austria penalty area to get his head to the ball, but his apparent goal bound header hit the post and rebounded back into the six yard box. Louis Schaub gathered the rebound and looked odds on to score but Austria's scrambling defence managed to snuff out the chance (60.). It was the closest either side would come to finding a breakthrough.  The last thirty minutes of the game passed largely without incident, and certainly without clear cut scoring opportunities. Free kicks, set pieces and long shots appeared the best routes to goal, but nothing really fell for either team against the opposition's well drilled defences. The score line remained 0:0 and each side took a point, which on the balance of the game seems an acceptable result for both parties.tipp3-Bundesliga, 4th matchday:SK Rapid - FK Austria 0:0Gerhard Hanappi-Stadion, 16.700 Attendance, Ref LechnerSK Rapid: Novota - Trimmel, Sonnleitner, Behrendt, Palla - Boskovic (81. Pichler), Petsos - Sabitzer, Schaub (62. Grozurek), Burgstaller - Boyd (30. Schrammel)Austria: Lindner - Dilaver, Rogulj, Ortlechner, Suttner - Holland - Gorgon (68. Royer), Stankovic, A. Grünwald (80. Kienast), Jun - Okotie (65. Hosiner)Yellow cards: Burgstaller, Rogulj, OrtlechnerRed card: Palla (26./second bookable offence)(gw)
13.08.2013