Much-needed win in Linz | OneFootball

Last-minute winner keeps us in hunt for top two

Our Red Bulls today secured their first away win at the Hofmann Personal Stadion at an ideal time, with the support from our packed away end helping us seal a big three points. Takumu Kawamura returned to action after his latest injury setback suffered in February on a great afternoon all round - in the end!

Match summary

The hosts began on the front foot with Gerald Scheiblehner's hosts lining up in a 3-4-3 and taking the game to us from the off. Seidl proved to be a real slippery customer for our defence to deal with - and capped an energetic showing with his fourth goal of the season after an acrobatic volley from an Anderson cross, and we were left chasing the game (9').

Mads Bidstrup & Co were increasingly able to work their way into the Linz half. The first noteworthy action for our Red Bulls came after a lovely ball into the box from Oscar Gloukh, and Vitek was able to deny a well-placed Dorgeles Nene header with a spectacular dive (20'). Kawamura was then felled right on the edge of the box, and - after VAR had checked the foul was not inside the box - Aleksa Terzic sent the free-kick over (22').

By the half-hour mark it was clear our boys were seeing more of the play and were the more active team, although the early goal for the hosts had clearly thrown Thomas Letsch's tactical planning into the air. Nene (40') had a chance to level, but we had to be happy just to be 0-1 down at the break after Ronivaldo threatened twice (45+1') – with Leandro Morgalla clearing off the line before Alex Schlager pulled off a super save.

Our Red Bulls went int the second half brimming with intent. Almost the entire proceedings took place in the hosts' half, but opportunities remained few and far between. Linz were able to launch the occasional attack or two without threatening at all. The minutes therefore continued to tick down as the Blue and Whites tried to hold on to their slender lead while our boys threw everything into turning it around.

A triple change – with Edmund Baidoo, Adam Daghim and Tim Trummer taking to the field - played a part in disorientating the hosts. It finally paid off as we got a deserved leveller! Petar Ratkov, who was brought on during the break for Morgalla, leapt into the air and met an Edmund Baidoo corner with an unstoppable bullet header (79').

Daghim was almost able to turn it around but could not quite reach a ball across the goalmouth to turn it in (83'). We managed to land the killer blow right at the end as Vitek looped Nene's shot up to Edmund Baidoo, who was able to head it into an empty net for 2-1 (90+4')!

A three-minute check from VAR in Vienna did not alter the scoreline as we celebrated the win at FC Blau-Weiß Linz. Next Saturday, 24 May, we end the season with an Austrian Klassiker as we host SK Rapid Vienna at the Red Bull Arena. There will be a lot more than just prestige at stake from 17:00 as second place in the table and a UEFA Champions League spot remains in our grasp.

Views

Thomas Letsch

Alex Schlager

Line-up

Substitutions

Ratkov for Morgalla (46'), E. Baidoo for Kawamura (68'), Trummer for Terzic (68'), Daghim for Onisiwo (68')

Yellow cards

None

Injury news