Bundesliga Sides in the ÖFB Cup: Clear Wins for Sturm, WAC, Ried and WSG Tirol in the First Round

SV Ried win 5:1 in Dornbirn

Bundesliga club SV Ried traveled to third-division side FC Dornbirn and won clearly in Vorarlberg, 5:1. The Innviertel side set the course for victory before the break. Evan Eghosa Aisowieren bagged a brace before halftime (30', 45') and thereby established clear superiority. After the restart, Dornbirn briefly harbored hopes of a comeback when Tamas Herbaly pulled a goal back in the 55th minute. But Samuel Chukwudi (58'), Lukas Malicsek (72') and Tobias Lund Jensen in stoppage time (90'+3) restored the final scoreline.

Also at FC Dornbirn, but in their match against SKN St. Pölten, promotion hopeful SKN St. Pölten had previously come out on top. The Lower Austrians, who in the spring had only been eliminated in the cup semifinals by eventual double winners LASK, also prevailed 5:1. Nikolai Baden Frederiksen scored in the 44th, 52nd and 71st minutes and was the outstanding performer on the pitch.

WAC enjoy a successful start for Vrioni

New striker Giacomo Vrioni enjoyed a successful debut at WAC. WAC won 5:1 away at FC Lauterach, also a third-division side from Vorarlberg. Before the break, Vrioni (27') and Marco Schabauer twice (31', 38') gave the Carinthians a comfortable lead. Lauterach's consolation goal through Nico Grabic (55') was answered by Sankara Karamoko (75') and once again Vrioni (80') to round off the clear final score. Coach Thomas Silberberger could be satisfied with his team's performance, even though the match was already decided after 45 minutes.

WSG Tirol traveled to Lower Austrian regional league side SC Wieselburg and won 6:0. Nikolai Baden Frederiksen led the Tyroleans to a resounding victory with a hat-trick (44', 52', 72'). New signings Samuel Chukwudi (58'), Lukas Malicsek (72') and Tobias Lund Jensen (93') also got their names on the scoresheet. In the end, it was a win that was deserved even in that margin for the Wattens side.

WSG Tirol demolish Wieselburg

SCR Altach have also advanced to the second round. At Bundesliga relegation side Blau-Weiß Linz, who themselves won 3:1 at third-division outfit Union Gurten, the Upper Austrians progressed after a nervy outing. The fourth goal for the team coached by Thomas Silberberger was scored by returning player Sankara Karamoko (75'). Overall, the Bundesliga clubs produced a consistently composed performance in this round.

Second-division side SKU Amstetten suffered a negative surprise. The Lower Austrians lost 2:4 on penalties in Deutschlandsberg and were therefore eliminated in the first round. Third-division side DSV Leoben also came off second best, going down 0:6 to second-division promotion side ASK Voitsberg. In Styria, the promoted side won clearly, while the third-division club from Leoben had to surrender early.

Sturm Graz win with a B-team

For reigning champions Sturm Graz, the focus was less on the result and more on the rotation. Coach Fabio Ingolitsch made good on his promise and rotated heavily three days after the 4:0 opening win in Champions League qualifying against Heart of Midlothian. Numerous regulars were rested, with Cameroonian Ryan Fosso allowed to lead the Graz side out as captain.

In the end, the Graz side also secured a composed 3:0 victory at third-division club SV Seekirchen. The goal of the match was scored by Yann Massombo in the 67th minute. Ademola Ola-Adebomi with the opening goal (22'), as well as Jaden Bambara (62') and Lukas Hinterseer (78'), also got on the scoresheet. The goals were spread out across the match, meaning the Graz side never came under threat.

Ingolitsch critical of finishing

Ingolitsch analyzed his team's performance in a measured way: "Ich hätte mir noch gewünscht, dass wir hinten raus noch ein bisschen gieriger sind, früher mehr Tore zu schießen. Wir waren dann auch nicht so sauber in Ballbesitz, aber am Ende des Tages haben wir unsere Pflicht erfüllt, deswegen fahren wir auch zufrieden nach Hause." His team was, he said, on a good path.

Looking ahead to the upcoming tasks, the Graz coach struck a combative tone: "Wir sind sehr, sehr positiv, die ersten zwei Auftaktspiele gewonnen zu haben. Jetzt wollen wir unsere nächste Aufgabe am Dienstag in den Fokus stellen." Then comes the return leg against the Hearts in Scotland. The ÖFB Cup action therefore slips into the background for Sturm Graz for the time being.

Outlook on the second round

Across the weekend, the familiar pattern of the first cup round once again emerged: the Bundesliga clubs and favored second-division sides came through as expected. With the exception of SKU Amstetten, who fell by the wayside in Deutschlandsberg, all the higher-ranked teams handled their obligatory tasks. The draw for the second round will be made in the coming days.

Overall, it should be noted that the clubs from the Bundesliga and the second-highest division have cleared the first cup hurdle with ease. Even if performances against lower-division opponents can only be considered a meaningful indicator of the rest of the season to a limited extent, most teams still produced convincing displays. Coaches and officials will be pleased that the additional burden of the national cup competition has so far been absorbed without any major casualties.

With the Bundesliga fixtures and European competitions on the horizon, the clubs must now avoid needlessly expending any further energy in cup mode. The second round will then presumably be played with less rotation and greater intensity, as the gaps between the divisions narrow and second-division sides are also capable of causing upsets.