With another season in the elite now secured for both Tirol and Grazer, the pressure is off for this final clash, which has only one purpose: to decide which team will end the season in 9th place.
WSG Tirol are set to miss relegation by around three points for the second season in a row, after finishing three points away from the drop last year. But relegation is no longer on the table for the team, despite their disappointing form of late. The Green-Whites will look to end it all on a high, having two of their last three home matches. And with Grazer's last away win dating back to February, winning is a real possibility.
You could say that there are positive signs at Die Roten's camp after their recent four-match unbeaten run. The five points they won over the course of the last month secured back-to-back seasons in the elite for the 2003/04 Champions.
How the bookies view it: Close odds after the recent draw
You'll find some peculiar odds for this matchup, as bookmakers found it hard to name a clear favourite. Tirol are the betting favourites at 3/2, but with the draw priced at 7/4 and Grazer's win at 9/4, you can see that the gap isn't that significant.
Recent head to head: A second 0-0 in three meetings
Tirol and Grazer had met only once before the start of this season – in the 2021 edition of the OFV Cup, when Tirol won 4-2 away. And then this season, they already met three times, with Grazer winning once at home and the other two games ending level. This means that neither side has an advantage in the H2H record and we can expect anything from this final meeting.
Players to watch: A new and improved Bror Blume
It is fair to say that Tirol's Bror Blume is having the best period of his long career. The 33-year-old Danish midfielder has been an integral part of the team since his transfer in 2021 but he has never been as effective as the last few weeks. He's bagged two goals and provided five more assists since the start of the final phase of the season. For comparison, Blume had a single goal and two assists for the entirety of the season before that.
Probable line-ups
Tirol: Stejskal, Gugganig, David, Jaunegg, Ustundag, Taferner, Muller, Butler, Hinterseer, Skrbo, Blume
Grazer: Wiegele, Graf, Tikvic, Kreuzriegler, Italiano, Fofana, Schriebl, Friser, Cipot, Jano, Lichtenberger
Anything else catch the eye?
Finishing 9th instead of 10th will make little difference, but you can rest assured that both sides will try to win on Friday. Given the performances of the two teams from recent weeks, we can definitely expect some action. Grazer only lost twice in the relegation group and will meet Tirol, who have had some questionable matches since the last time they met in March.
While the most recent H2H was a dull 0-0 draw, Tirol have had six overs in eight games. Their matches have produced 33 goals or an average of 3.67 per fixture. As the last outing of the season, we expect more from the two teams than the same tasteless result.
GambleAware