Wolfsberg v LASK match preview: A test for one of the early leaders
On 1 September, Wolfsberg and LASK will face each other in Matchday 4 of the Austrian Bundesliga. The game will take place at the Lavanttal Arena and kick off at 19:30 local time. On paper, the visitors look like favourites, but the hosts will certainly try to make the most of home advantage and their opponents' demanding schedule.
LASK have made a very strong start to the new season. After three rounds, the team have a perfect record, with three wins from three matches. In the opening round, the Linz side beat Austria Vienna 2–0 before thrashing Ried 4–1 at home. As a result, LASK have nine points and an impressive goal difference of 9:1 after three games.
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However, the team have not been focused solely on domestic football. LASK have already come through a demanding Champions League qualifying tie against Celtic. After losing 3–0 in Glasgow, the Austrians produced an incredible comeback in the return leg, winning 5–1 at home after extra time. As a result, LASK progressed with a 5–4 aggregate victory. It was one of the biggest surprises in European football in recent days.
The main question ahead of the match against Wolfsberg is therefore the visitors' physical condition. The return leg against Celtic was an extremely demanding affair, while LASK also face Altach on 29 August. Only after that match will it become clear exactly what condition the team will be in heading into the 1 September fixture.
Wolfsberg, meanwhile, have looked less convincing so far. In the opening rounds, they have faced Austria Vienna, Salzburg and Austria Lustenau. Before their match against Grazer AK on 29 August, the club were sitting in sixth place. The result of that fixture cannot yet be taken into account in this preview as of 29 August, since the match is only due to take place later that evening.
Interestingly, there has not been a huge gap between the sides in their recent head-to-head meetings. Last season, the teams exchanged victories, while one of their most recent encounters ended with a 2–0 win for LASK. Wolfsberg are also capable of causing problems for the favourites at home, particularly if they manage to score first.
LASK's main strength at the moment is confidence. Nine points from three matches, nine goals scored and the emotional victory over Celtic should give the team an extra boost. The other side of the coin, however, is a very congested schedule and the fatigue following 120 minutes of a demanding European match.
Wolfsberg face the opposite task: the hosts need to remain as organised as possible and prevent LASK from imposing their tempo early on. If they can withstand the initial pressure and force the visitors to do plenty of work without the ball, their chances of a positive result will increase significantly.
On paper, LASK are the stronger side and go into the match as favourites. But after their remarkable comeback against Celtic, this is unlikely to be a straightforward outing. Wolfsberg are playing at home and will have enormous additional motivation. We could therefore be in for a hard-fought contest in which individual moments decide the destination of the three points.
My prediction: LASK to win.
