Rapid beaten by Ried in a hectic Bundesliga return

With the partial respite of the recent international break, our players had managed to recuperate somewhat from the strain of all the midweek fixtures on this season’s calendar, and with more of the same lying ahead it was a welcome boost to see Marcel Ritzmaier and Taxi Fountas back in the starting XI for the trip to Bundesliga new-boys SV Ried. Filip Stojkovic returned at least to take a place on the bench, but captain Dejan Ljubicic will be out for a while yet, and neither Dejan Petrovic nor Kelvin Arase were fit for this game.

With a trip to Ireland next on the agenda for UEFA Europa League match day 4 against Dundalk, Rapid were first looking to get back into the groove in the Bundesliga on Sunday, and there was a little extra incentive after Salzburg's defeat to Sturm: Rapid would go top of the table with three points from the Innenviertel. The final preparations for the game had a curious side note though, as not only did head coach Didi Kühbauer have to stay at home ill, but counterpart Gerald Baumgartner was also forced to sit this one out: Get well soon gentlemen!

The first action of the game also had a curious touch to it as well, when Max Ullmann's attempted clearance found safety only via his own post, narrowly avoiding an own goal (7’). Perhaps that was fitting for what was to follow in the game, but first up it was Rapid in our Red and Blue away strips who hit the front. Mateo Barac launched a switching pass over to the right flank for Thorsten Schick, his cross then wasn't dealt with well in the Ried defence, Christoph Knasmüllner found himself alone at the back and rifled in at the near post for a 1-0 lead (14’)! The returning Fountas - still with bandaging on his hand - then got heavily involved, first tapping in a Yusuf Demir pass before being pulled back for a contentious offside call (17’), and then firing a shot across the face of goal and away (22’). 

After a good opening, we suddenly found ourselves pegged back. With the six-yard box loaded for a Ried corner, Srdjan Grahovac diverted the ball into his own net with a header from almost on the line (25’). Marco Grüll then smashed the side-netting as the hosts came alive (27’), and despite Rapid getting back into the game, Grüll set up Gschweidl after a strong run, and the latter steered the ball past Paul Gartler for 2-1 (40’). Plenty of room for improvement in the second half.

After the break we found what we needed, and we showed signs of our strengths quickly too. After a Ritzmaier cross, Knasmüllner struck a volley out of the air but it sailed wide (49’). He was on the score sheet for the second time moments later though; Ullmann let fly from range, and keeper Radlinger could only parry the ball into his path as he slotted in to bring us level at 2-2 (51’)! We kept on pushing for more, and once again we got it when Fountas broke free down the left, squared towards Ercan Kara, but saw the ball instead ricochet inside the near post off the foot of defender Reiner. A second own goal of the game, and this time we profited with the 3-2 advantage (65’)! 

Unfortunately the action didn’t end there though, and Reiner prodded home a set-piece delivery to level up at 3-3 after we had conceded a soft looking free kick (71’). What a match we had on our hands! The action was still ebbing and flowing, and Kara went so close to giving us another lead, only to see a precise and powerful header brilliantly saved by the diving Radlinger (76’). Gartler then had work of his own to do, smartly stopping a Ziegl effort on the break (86’) as both sides felt there was a winner still to come. 

Crucially it was Ried who dealt the final blow, as Bajic ran clear on the right, before picking out Grüll who slid the ball agonisingly past Gartler and in at the far post. 4-3 (87’) and not enough time to grab an equaliser. A crazy game therefore ended in a bitter defeat for Rapid, our first of the season, but we’ll have to pick ourselves up for the Europa League on Thursday. 

Photos: GEPA Pictures.

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