With the target of Champions League qualification looming ever closer, a confident and in-form Rapid side took to the field in Austria's Innviertel on Saturday. However it was Ried who enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, with the Hüttledorfer defence called upon to stand strong and weather the pressure. Brilliant Schobesberger rounds off lightning counterOliver Glasner's side managed to convert their bright play into a couple of reasonable chances: a Thomalla free kick represented the first shot on target from either side, but was ably dealt with by Jan Novota (4.), before Ried worked a short corner with Ziegl crossing for Walch, who, finding himself in an alarming amount of space at the near post from a Rapid perspective, headed the extremely presentable chance wide (7.). It was up to the midfield to roll up their sleeves and push Ried back, which they did convincingly. However, the increased success in tackling percentages didn’t translate into better service for Robert Beric, who was cutting an isolated figure as the game reached the twenty minute mark. An off-target Brian Behrendt shot following a Steffen Hofmann corner was the first sign of life from the Green & Whites in an attacking sense (24.), but it wouldn't take long before their attacking prowess, hereto dormant, would rise to the surface. Stefan Schwab dispossessed ex-Rapid man Harry Pichler deep in Rapid territory, the ball finding its way to Steffen Hofmann, who in turn played a well-crafted pass down the right hand flank to Beric to set the Green & Whites on a counter. Beric looked up as he approached the edge of the Ried box and played the ball to Schobesberger, who despite having plenty to do, weaved his way into the penalty area past three defenders, before beating home keeper Gebauer with a composed right foot shot as defenders swarmed around him - 1:0 (36.)! It was a fantastic strike from Schobesberger to keep his rich vein of form going, and one that handed Rapid the advantage going into the half time break. Rapid keep Ried at arms-lengthChances in the second half proved to be few and far between as the game became bogged down in midfield. A long range effort from Oliver Kragl (55.) drew the best out of Novota, but that aside there was very little goal mouth action to excite the big crowd inside the Keine Sorgen Arena. A compact Rapid defensive unit were proving far too organised and robust for their opponents, and an equaliser never looked like materialising. Ried tried to up the tempo in the closing stages to build up some late pressure, but experienced heads like Sonnleitner and Hofmann weren't to be ruffled, and Rapid saw out the game with a minimum of fuss. The resolute defensive display will have delighted Zoran Barisic, whose side remain in the hunt at the business end of the league table. Trainer Zoran Barisic: "Today there were lots of situations in which we should’ve executed counter attacks better and sewn the game up. But we didn't. It was a difficult game for us, particularly in an attacking sense, but we’ve won and deserved the victory!"tipico Bundesliga, Match Day 29SV Ried - SK Rapid 0:1 (0:1)Keine Sorgen Arena, 7.300 Zuschauer, Ref KollegerGoal: 0:1 Schobesberger (36.)SK Rapid: Novota Schrammel, Sonnleitner, M. Hofmann, Stangl Behrendt, Schwab Schobesberger (84. Starkl), S. Hofmann (63. Alar), Kainz BericSV Ried: Gebauer Reifeltshammer, Pichler (85. Kreuzer), Trauner, Lainer Filipovic (58. Murg), Kragl, Elsneg (74. Fröschl), Ziegl Thomalla, WalchYellow Cards: Schwab, Behrendt Trauner, Kragl, Thomalla(gw)