Bundesliga opposition lowdown

The league is finally starting again! Close to two months of waiting is over, and the ADMIRAL Bundesliga is getting going in 2024 with our game against SK Sturm Graz this Friday, 9 February!

We have summarised in our opposition lowdown how all the other teams have got on over the winter break.

SK Sturm Graz

• 2nd place with 37 points

The Graz side have taken on the mantle like last season as our closest rivals in the title race and are just two points behind us. The big top-of-the-table clash this Friday at 20:30 CET in the Red Bull Arena is therefore even more important.

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The Graz outfit were able to build on their strong form in the autumn in the UNIQA ÖFB Cup and sealed a semi-final spot with a superb 2-0 win over FK Austria Vienna.

New signings: The injury to first-choice goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen forced Sturm into the transfer market, and they have signed 22-year-old Vitezslav Jaros from Liverpool on loan for the rest of the season. They have signed an attacker on loan from Arsenal in Mika Biereth – and the 20-year-old scored his first goal on his debut in the ÖFB Cup quarter-final tie against Austria Vienna.

Departures: While Christoph Lang has been recalled from Hartberg and sent to Rapid Vienna, Sturm have lent three players out until the summer in Bryan Teixeira (1. FC Magdeburg), Vesel Demaku (SCR Altach) and Mohammed Fuseini (Randers FC).

• First match: FC Red Bull Salzburg vs. SK Sturm Graz | Friday 09.02.2024 at 20:30 CET

LASK

• 3rd place with 32 points

We were able to get an initial impression of LASK in our 3-2 away win in the cup quarter-final. Thomas Sageder's side proved to be tough opponents to face - just as they were before the winter break. They are not third in the table for nothing, and the Linz side will definitely be in the running for the top spots!

We don't have long to wait until our next visit to the Raiffeisen Arena. On Sunday 10 March, we are going to Linz in the final match of the regular season.

New signings: LASK have two exciting new signings in Valon Berisha and youngster Lucas Copado. The two players they had on loan from Slavia Prague, Moses Usor and Maksym Talovierov, were also signed permanently. 

Departures: They have not lost any regular starters, but Thomas Goiginger (VfL Osnabrück) has left Linz after over six years at the club, while Husein Balic (LKS Lodz) has also departed. Loan player Ebrima Darboe has returned to Roma ahead of time in order to be loaned on to Sampdoria.  

• Opening match: LASK vs. SK Austria Klagenfurt | Sunday 11.02.2024 at 17:00

TSV Hartberg

• 4th place with 29 points

The surprise package in the autumn should be able to continue to use their most prolific attacker – as nothing came of transfer talk surrounding Maximilian Entrup.

Hartberg did lose a regular though as the loan of Christoph Lang was ended by Sturm Graz so he can be transferred to Rapid. Onurhan Babuscu (Gaziantep FK) was signed as a replacement on loan until the summer.

Should TSV Hartberg manage to maintain their level from the opening 17 matchdays in the coming weeks, then they have every chance of taking a spot in the champions' group!

• Opening match: FK Austria Vienna vs. TSV Hartberg | Saturday 10.02.2024 at 17:00

SK Austria Klagenfurt

• 5th place with 26 points

Klagenfurt appear to be on course to continue their positive development of the past few seasons by taking another spot in the champions' group.

We will be able to see their form for ourselves soon enough as we host Austria on Sunday 3 March at the Red Bull Arena.

New signings: The attack has been bolstered with the signing of 32-year-old Anton Maglica from Bosnian first-division side Zrinjski Mostar, while Ali Loune from 1. FC Nürnberg and Max Besuschkow from Hannover 96 have also been signed on loan for the midfield. New signings Laurenz Dehl and David Toshevski have been immediately loaned out.

Departures: Defensive midfielder Turgay Gemicibasi was sold to Göztepe in the Turkish second tier on deadline day, while Iba May went on loan to Viktoria Berlin.

• Opening match: LASK vs. SK Austria Klagenfurt | Sunday 11.02.2024 at 17:00

SK Rapid Vienna

• 6th place with 24 points

While the Viennese have a spot in the champions' group in the balance, coach Robert Klauß has to deal with a few departures. Playmaker Nicolas Kühn has left for Celtic, Patrick Greil to SV Sandhausen and Ante Bajic to SV Ried. 

Christoph Lang (who was loaned from Sturm Graz to Hartberg in the autumn) will bolster the Green and Whites midfield in the spring, while winger Isak Jansson has been signed from Spanish second division side FC Cartagena  – initially on loan, but with a purchase option in the summer. Altach striker Noah Bischof has been signed but sent immediately on loan to FC First Vienna.

Rapid remain on track in the UNIQA ÖFB Cup, coming back to beat SKN St. Pölten 3-1 in their quarter-final.

• Opening match: WAC vs. SK Rapid | Sunday 11.02.2024 at 14:30

Wolfsberger AC

• 7th place with 23 points

There is a new record transfer sale for WAC. Attacker Mohamed Bamba has moved to FC Lorient in Ligue 1, with the Wolves getting a cool five million Euro! Recruited instead in attack is Sankara Karamoko from ASEC Mimosas (the former club of Karim Konate). Ivorian defender Cheick Diabate came from the Israeli second division on deadline day.

Otherwise, Manfred Schmid can count on the side that helped WAC to a solid autumn. The champions' group remains within their reach, while they have a comfortable points tally should they drop into the relegation group.

• Opening match: WAC vs. SK Rapid | Sunday 11.02.2024 at 14:30

FK Austria Vienna

• 8th place with 21 points

The Violets are yet to really get their season into gear, and they will have to improve to get a top six spot. They began the year with a 0-2 defeat to SK Sturm in the ÖFB-Cup.

A high-profile new signing has been made on loan in Frans Krätzig from FC Bayern, while a big departure has been seen too with Matthias Braunöder (on loan to Como in Serie B with a permanent option). Coach Michael Wimmer must go without regular goalie Christian Früchtl for a few weeks after he sustained a knee injury in training. 

Further departures: Aleksandar Jukic (FK Sochi), Lukas Haubenwaller (loan to SC Neusiedl am See), Matan Baltaxa (Maccabi Tel Aviv).

• Opening match: FK Austria Vienna vs. TSV Hartberg | Saturday 10.02.2024 at 17:00

FC Blau-Weiß Linz

• 9th place with 17 points

The newly promoted side proved they could mix it with the best of the Austrian Bundesliga in the autumn - even taking a shock away win at the Red Bull Arena! We have a chance for revenge soon, with our first appearance at the Hofmann Personal Stadion on Saturday 17 February. 

Anyone who wants to come to support us at the ground opened in July 2023 can find all the information on away travel HERE.

Transfers: Including the return of Raphael Hofer on loan, the Linz side have seen three departures, but the core of the squad remains intact. The Blue and Whites have signed another attacker too in SW Bregenz winger Joao Luiz.

• Opening match: SCR Altach vs. FC Blau-Weiß Linz | Saturday 10.02.2024 at 17:00

SCR Altach

• 10th place with 16 points

Altach are on course to retain their top-flight status – although the halving of points when the league is split at the end of the regular season may complicate things. Getting knocked out of the cup quarter-final against second-division DSV Leoben was definitely a bad way to start the new year of football!

Transfers: New signings Ousmane Diawara and Sofian Bahloul should rejuvenate the attack, while Sturm loan signing Vesel Demaku will bring stability into midfield. Youth graduate Noah Bischof is leaving Altach for the capital and has signed for SK Rapid - with a loan first to First Vienna FC.

• Opening match: SCR Altach vs. FC Blau-Weiß Linz | Saturday 10.02.2024 at 17:00

WSG Tirol

• 11th place with 11 points

11 points and 11th place. The points tally from the opening 17 matches isn't a pleasing one, but Tirol remain clear of the bottom spot for now. The new year of football will start with a big basement clash against Austria Lustenau!

The transfer period has been a quiet one for Thomas Silberberger's side, with only Julius Ertlthaler leaving for Poland, while there were no new signings in Wattens.

• Opening match: WSG Tirol vs. SC Austria Lustenau | Sunday 11.02.2024 at 14:30

SC Austria Lustenau

• 12th place with 3 points

Second season syndrome has struck again! While they almost made it into Europe last season, this time Austria Lustenau are still without a single win and bottom of the pile. They simply have to win their opener against WSG Tirol!

They will visit us at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday 24 February.

Transfers: Five new signings have arrived to help the survival bid. The unsuccessful loan of Nikolai Baden Frederiksen was ended after ten appearances and no goal contributions, while Jonathan Schmid has also left the club after half a year.

• Opening match: WSG Tirol vs. SC Austria Lustenau | Sunday 11.02.2024 at 14:30

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