Preview
PajimonRight, so we've got Wacker Innsbruck hosting Austria Salzburg in the 2. Liga on 16 October, and let me tell you, this one's got the smell of a braai on it — the kind where you know the meat's going to be good before you even light the coals.
Wacker Innsbruck are in absolute form. Three wins and two draws in their last five, with no defeats, and they've won their last three straight, scoring 10 goals and conceding just 3. That's the kind of run that makes you reach for the beer before the game even kicks off. And at home? Over their last 20 home games, they've won 15, drawn 2 and lost just 3. They're averaging 2.45 goals per game at home and conceding only 0.8. Eleven clean sheets in 20 home fixtures. That is a very, very difficult place to get a result, and I'm not exaggerating.
Now look at Austria Salzburg on the road. Twenty away games, and they've won 6, drawn 7 and lost 7. That's 1.25 points per game. They're averaging 1.55 goals scored and 1.55 conceded per away outing. In their last five matches across all venues, they've managed just one win, two draws and two losses, conceding 2.6 goals per game. Zero clean sheets in that stretch. They lost 0-4 to First Vienna in the cup on 5 September and lost 1-2 to Voitsberg on 19 September. The only positive is that 2-1 win over Floridsdorfer AC on 10 October, but that was at home.
The head-to-head here is from 2015 and 2016. Four meetings, two draws, one win each. So it's dated, and I'm not going to pretend those old results tell me anything about what's happening now. The current form and the home/away records are what matter, and they point firmly in Wacker's direction.
Now, the counter-argument, because I'm not a fool. Salzburg have 7 draws in 20 away games, which means they can be stubborn on the road. They scored 1.9 per game in their last 10, so they've got the ability to find the net. And that 2-1 win six days ago showed they can still put a ball in the back of the net. Plus, in the old head-to-head, two of the four meetings ended level. So it's not impossible that this ends 1-1 or 0-0.
But here's the thing: Wacker's home defence is the real story. 0.8 goals conceded per game, 11 clean sheets in 20. Salzburg are leaking 1.55 per away game and haven't kept a clean sheet in their last five. When you line those up, the contrast is clear.
Key Points:
- Wacker Innsbruck are unbeaten in their last 5, winning 3 and drawing 2, and have won their last 3 straight, scoring 10 and conceding just 3
- Wacker's home record over 20 games: 15 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses, averaging 2.45 goals scored and 0.8 conceded
- Austria Salzburg's away record over 20 games: 6 wins, 7 draws, 7 losses, averaging 1.55 conceded per game
- Salzburg have conceded in every one of their last 5 matches (0 clean sheets)
- The head-to-head is entirely historical (2015-2016), so current form and venue records carry the weight
My verdict: Wacker Innsbruck home win at 2.39.
