Preview
PajimonLook, I'll be honest with you — this one's got me reaching for the cold one before the match. First Vienna have been absolutely cooking, and Voitsberg are struggling to keep their heads above water. Let me walk you through why the visitors are the ones I'm backing.
First Vienna have won four of their last five, losing only to Lask Linz in a friendly two weeks ago. In that stretch they've scored 13 goals and conceded just four. Four wins in five games, and they haven't failed to score in any of their last ten matches. Their away record over 20 games tells the same story: 11 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses, conceding 0.85 per game and keeping 10 clean sheets. They've been winning away to WSPG Wels 3–1, Rapid Wien II 2–0, and Austria Salzburg 4–0 in the cup. That's a team that travels well and shuts the other side down.
Now, Voitsberg do have a strong home record — 14 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses across 20 home games, scoring 3.25 per game. That's a solid base. But their current form is a different story entirely. They've lost their last two — 2–3 at Admira Wacker and 1–2 at Wolfsberger — and in their last five they've managed just one win, one draw and three losses. They've conceded 11 goals in those five games and haven't kept a single clean sheet. Their home win over Austria Salzburg on 19 September was the only bright spot, and before that they were beaten 1–4 by Sturm Graz at home in the cup. The last two games have been away losses, and the pattern is clear: this side is leaking goals.
The head-to-head is dated — all three meetings go back at least 17 months, so I won't lean on it. What it does show is that First Vienna won two of those three, and every single meeting finished under 2.5 goals. That's historical, not current form, so I'll let the numbers from the last few months do the talking.
The counter-argument is Voitsberg's home record. Fourteen wins in 20 home games is not nothing, and they do score — 3.25 per game at home. They haven't failed to score in their last five either. But a home record built over 12 months doesn't override the fact that this team has lost their last two and is conceding at a rate of 2.1 per game across their last ten. The form gap is too wide to ignore.
Key Points:
- First Vienna: 4W 0D 1L in last 5, 13 scored, 4 conceded; 7W 1D 2L in last 10
- Voitsberg: 1W 1D 3L in last 5, 7 scored, 11 conceded; lost last 2
- First Vienna away record: 11W 3D 6L in 20 games, 0.85 conceded per game
- Voitsberg home record: 14W 2D 4L in 20 games, but current form is poor
- Head-to-head is historical (3 meetings, all 17+ months old); First Vienna won 2 of 3
My verdict: First Vienna away win at 2.15. The form, the defensive record on the road, and the scoring output all point the same way. Voitsberg's home numbers are impressive, but the last five games say this team is in trouble, and I'm not about to bet against a side that's won four of five and hasn't blanked in ten. Braai's on me if this lands — now go and enjoy the football, boetjie.