Rapid Wien, the new leaders of the Austrian Bundesliga, will visit the Red Bull Arena this Sunday for a classic game between the champions and the runners-up of last season.
The visitors gained top spot in the Austrian Bundesliga for the first time this season, after they won 2-1 on Wednesday against Sturm Graz. Both Salzburg and Rapid have 34 points at the top of the table, in third place Austria Wien are on 29 points.
Although he is not scoring and playing like last season, Marc Janko is still the most dangerous man for Salzburg. This season he has scored 10 goals in the league and another two in Europe.
At the start of the season his relationship with the new Coach, Huub Stevens, wasn’t so good and he didn’t open in the starting lineup in all games, but after a few weeks and after RB failed to qualify for the Champions League group stages, he understood that he is his key player.
The RB defence will need to keep an eye on three players that have scored most of Rapid’s goals so far this season:
Steffen Hofmann – 13 goals and 7 assists in all competitions.
Hamdi Salihi – 8 goals (all in the league) in only 12 appearances.
Nikica Jelavic who is in great form and scored in the last three games.
Some interesting statistics on the encounter:
Both teams have the same record so far this season: 10 victories, 4 draws and 2 defeats.
Only Red Bull and Rapid Vienna have lost just two matches this season.
Both teams have won ten matches, the most in the Bundesliga.
Only Rapid (39 goals) have scored more goals than Red Bull Salzburg (36) so far this campaign.
In the last four years there has always been a winner in matches between the two clubs in Salzburg.
Red Bull Salzburg have won six of their last seven meetings at the Red Bull Arena against Rapid Vienna.