For the match in Salzburg Trainer Zoran Barisic made no fewer than six changes to the team that had started on Thursday in the Europa League against KRC Genk. Rapid went into the game against Grödig looking to avenge the 0:1 defeat suffered at the start of the season on home turf. This objective looked miles away from being realised during the early exchanges as the hosts took complete control of the match. However Rapid did produce an early moment of danger in the shape of a low Trimmel cut back across the six yard box that tantalisingly evaded all and sundry (2.). But following the early chance all the action became rooted at the other end of the field.Jan Novota in the spotlightThe hosts had a string of early chances to take the lead, the first of which fell to Cabrera whose header went just wide of the target (7.). Minutes later Jan Novota was called into action for the first time as he got a hand to a good effort from Huspeck (10.). The early signs weren't good for Rapid and it was no surprise when Grödig took the lead: a cross from Leitgeb found Tomi, whose shot on the turn beat Novota to give the Salzburg side a deserved lead - 1:0 (14.). It nearly got worse for Rapid as an attempt at playing offside went badly wrong, presenting Salamon with a glorious opportunity but he fluffed his lines whilst one on one with Jan Novota, failing to hit the target (18.). Novota was a busy man as he got a hand to another Huspeck effort (24.), this time from distance, before Cabrera again went close, hitting the side netting from close range (26.). Not long afterwards the man from Spain looked odds on to double the home side's lead but was again foiled by the inspired Novota, as the big keeper scrambled to keep out the Grödig man's headed attempt (36.). Rapid went into the break indebted to Novota and grateful to be only trailing by a solitary goal.Furious Finale  A drastic improvement was required in the second half, and to this end Louis Schaub was introduced, who thankfully brought with him a much needed injection of energy and invention. Guido Burgstaller thought he had dragged Rapid back into the game just minutes after the restart, but his header from the energetic Schaub's cross was correctly ruled out for offside (48.). Rather than driving Rapid on however, the pattern of the game began to look uncannily like that of the first half. Zulechner was unlucky as he a his powerful header hit the crossbar (54.), but it wouldn't take long before the striker got his name on the score sheet: with the Rapid defence half asleep, Tomi sliced through the Green & White back line, laid the ball back to Zulechner who this time got it right and beat Novota with a crisp shot - 2:0 (66.). Tomi then nearly killed the game off, but his left footed free kick from 30 meters hit the crossbar. With Grödig in complete command there was little sign of the drama that was about to unfold.Out of the blue Guido Burgstaller played the ball into Domink Starkl who, with a cute drop of the shoulder, outfoxed two defenders and despite being tightly marked managed to poke the ball into the bottom right corner to rekindle Rapid's hopes - 2:1 and the Hütteldorfers had capitalised on their first sight of goal! At the other end Zulechner was then twice guilty of passing up chances that could have buried  Rapid, but two-one it remained. The Green & Whites had hung in the game and were about to be richly rewarded: live wire Schaub danced his way into the penalty area before being upended, penalty Rapid, and on his 400th competitive appearance for the club ice cool Steffen Hofmann converted the spot kick - 2:2 - Rapid back from the dead! Neither team managed to find a late winner and Barisic's young team extended their unbeaten run to eight games, albeit in the most unlikely of circumstances. In light of the game its a point that we'll gladly take back to Hütteldorf!Trainer Zoran Barisic: "I'm satisfied with the result. I have to congratulate Grödig for their excellent performance, my team for the point. Despite a first half in which we weren't at the races we never gave up believing in ourselves. That says a lot about my side, but you also have to give respect to the opposition."Steffen Hofmann: "The equaliser was incredibly important for us. The result possibly doesn't reflect the game but we never gave up. Its important that we didn't lose"tipp3-Bundesliga, Match Day 15:SV Grödig - SK Rapid 2:2 (1:0)Untersbergarena, 3.600 Attendance, Ref SchörgenhoferGoals: 1:0 (14.) Tomi, 2:0 (66.) Zulechner, 2:1 (74.) Starkl, 2:2 (85.) S. Hofmann (Penalty)SV Grödig: Stankovic - Potzmann, Cabrera, Taboga, Zündel - M. Leitgeb, Tschernegg - Huspek, Tomi (87. Elsneg), Salamon - Zulechner (81. Trdina)SK Rapid: Novota - Trimmel, Sonnleitner, Pichler, Palla - Petsos, Behrendt, Wydra (46. Schaub) - Starkl, Boyd (74. Grozurek), Burgstaller (81. S. Hofmann)Yellow Cards: Pichler, Petsos(gw)
10.11.2013