Preview
PajimonLook, I'm sitting here with my braai going and a cold one in hand, and this one's got me excited. Ried and Austria Vienna are about to do it, and I reckon it's gonna be a goal-fest.
Ried have been absolutely cooking. Three wins and two draws from their last five, no losses at all, and they've scored 15 goals in that stretch – that's three a game. They beat Wolfsberger 4-1 at home on 20 September, held Red Bull Salzburg to a 1-1 draw, and then went out and won 2-1 at Wattens on 10 October. Every single one of those five games had both teams scoring, and four of the five went over 2.5 goals. At home over 20 games, Ried have gone over 2.5 in 12 of those 20, and they score 1.9 per game on their own patch. Their last 10 across all venues shows 7 of 10 over 2.5 and 9 of 10 with both teams scoring. They haven't dropped a point in five.
Austria Vienna are no pushovers either. Three wins, a draw and a loss from their last five, with 16 goals scored – 3.2 a game. They thrashed Admira 6-1 away on 2 October and Traiskirchen 6-0 in the cup back in September. But here's the thing: they just lost 0-2 at home to Sturm Graz on 10 October, and that's the only blemish. Away from home over 20 games, they've scored 2.1 per game and gone over 2.5 in 12 of those 20. Their last 10 shows 5 of 10 over 2.5, which is a touch lower than Ried's 7 of 10, but still solid.
Now, the head-to-head is a bit dated. The only meeting within the last 12 months was back in March, and Austria Vienna won 2-0 at Ried's ground. Before that, the older meetings – going back four years – are all in Austria Vienna's favour, but those are historical and don't tell you much about what's happening now. What matters is that both teams are in serious scoring form heading into this one, and the venue records back that up on both sides.
The counter-argument? Austria Vienna's defensive record away is solid – 9 clean sheets in 20 away games – and they've only conceded 1.25 per game on the road. Ried's defence has been a bit leaky lately, conceding 1.7 per game over their last 10, and they've only managed 1 clean sheet in that stretch. And that 0-2 loss to Sturm Graz shows Austria Vienna can go quiet for 90 minutes. But then again, Ried haven't lost in five and their home scoring is up there at 1.9 per game.
Key Points:
- Ried: 3W 2D 0L in last 5, 15 goals scored, 4/5 over 2.5, BTTS yes in all 5
- Austria Vienna: 3W 1D 1L in last 5, 16 goals scored, 4/5 over 2.5
- Ried home: 12/20 over 2.5; Austria Vienna away: 12/20 over 2.5
- Only recent H2H (8 March 2026): Austria Vienna won 2-0 at Ried's ground
- Ried scored in all 5 of their last 5; Austria Vienna scored in 4 of their last 5
So here's where I land. Both teams are in serious scoring form, the venue records back it up on both sides, and I can't see this being a low-scoring affair. I'm going over 2.5 goals at 1.67. That's my pick, and I'm feeling good about it. Now pass me another beer.