As the season comes to a close, Austria Klagenfurt have one final chance to save themselves from relegation. With a positive H2H record against Hartberg, the hosts should feel more confident than usual.
The relegation battle in the Austrian Bundesliga has been top tier this season. With one round left, two teams remain in the mix to drop to the lower tier and Austria Klagenfurt are just a point away from safety. What chances do the Lions have to take over Altach and escape relegation? With six wins in 31 rounds and a goal difference of 33:69, you wouldn't think their chances are significant.
But Hartberg, their final opponents, have nothing to fight for in their last away game. Their spot in the Conference League Play Offs is guaranteed, and win or lose, there is no moving from 8th place. Curiously, Austria Klagenfurt's only win in the final stage of the season was exactly against the Blue-Whites. But that match was in March and the Lions have not won in eight consecutive games.
How the bookies view it: The Lions to save themselves
Bookmakers gave Austria Klagenfurt a massive betting advantage, despite the fact that the Lions have been the worst Bundesliga team throughout the entire campaign. You can pick A. Klagenfurt at 3/5, while Hartberg are available at 4/1. Meanwhile, the odds for the draw revolve around 3/1.
Recent head to head: Austria Klagenfurt are Hartberg's kryptonite
Looking at the H2H record, it seems that fate has smiled upon Austria Klagenfurt. The list of teams which have a negative record against the Lions is small and Hartberg happen to be one of them. The teams first met a decade ago in the Regionalliga Central. And while Hartberg won the opening meeting, they managed to win once more since then. The teams have met a total of 13 times in official matches, and Austria Klagenfurt lead with seven wins to two. Moreover, they haven't lost to Hartberg this season, beating them in the last encounter and getting two draws in the regular season.
Players to watch: Is Toshevski a one-match wonder?
Will David Toshevski get another chance against Hartberg? The young Macedonian played a total of 13 minutes in the last three rounds but he must appear in this match. He popped off with a hat-trick in the reverse fixture two months ago. And if Carsten Jancker doesn't let him play, you should watch out for Ben Bobzien, who has two goals and an assist against Hartberg this season. He is also the teams' top goalscorer this year.
Probable line-ups
Austria Klagenfurt: Spari, Hinteregger, Mahrer, Gezos, Straudi, Robatsch, Salifou, Koch, Bobzien, Jaritz, Wernitznig
Hartberg: Sallinger, Kovacevic, Komposch, Omogerie, Markus, Prokop, Kainz, Demir, Huskovic, Avdijaj, Mijic
Anything else catch the eye?
Looking at the recent H2Hs, it's clear that Hartberg haven't found a solution for Austria Klagenfurt. Three meetings this season and zero wins for the Blue-Whites. And while they've played some of their best football in the last few weeks, we believe the odds for the Lions are this low for a reason.
Austria will be desperate to find the goal and based on the last few encounters, we can expect a few of those. The last six H2Hs in a row ended with goals on both ends. Seven of the last 10 ended with over 2.5 goals. And then eight of Austria Klagenfurt's last 10 home matches covered this market too.
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