Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the matches in the first round of the Austrian Bundesliga will be played on Friday at the "Merkur Arena," where GAK 1902 will face Salzburg. Here is the prediction for the match from the Dailysports team.
GAK 1902
The "Reds" had an outstanding season last year, deservedly finishing first in the Second League. GAK 1902 outpaced their closest pursuer, Ried, by ten points. In 30 matches, the "Reds" achieved 21 victories with only three defeats. Moreover, they lost just once at home.
The team conducted intensive preparations during the summer, playing several friendly matches. Against second-tier opponents, the "Red Devils" had no problems, but in their last friendly, they suffered a crushing 1-5 defeat away to Besiktas.
In the new season, the club started with a cup match against Atus Velden from the Fourth League. They managed to defeat their opponent only in a penalty shootout.
Salzburg
The "Red Bulls" failed to secure the championship title for the first time in the last ten years last season. Salzburg finished second, just two points behind Sturm. In 32 matches, the club secured 20 victories and suffered five defeats.
Interestingly, the "Bulls" ended the previous season without any trophies, as they lost 2-3 at home to Sturm in the Austrian Cup semifinals.
During the summer preseason, Salzburg played five friendly matches without losing any, defeating teams such as Unterhaching (3-0), Kuchl (8-1), Rijeka (1-0), and Sheffield Wednesday (4-0). In their first official match in the Austrian Cup, Salzburg thrashed Dornbirn 6-0.
Interesting facts about the match and head-to-head history
- In official matches, Salzburg has not lost to GAK in seven encounters, securing six victories in this period.
- Only one of the last five matches featured both teams scoring.
- GAK has achieved just one home victory over Salzburg in their last five meetings, losing three times.
GAK 1902 vs Salzburg Prediction
Bookmakers give overwhelming advantage to Salzburg in this match, with the visitors' victory estimated at odds of 1.35. Our bet for the match is "Salzburg to win with a -1.0 handicap" at odds of 1.60.
