ÖFB Cup Kickoff: LASK travels to Kalsdorf, Salzburg starts with Röhl in Oberwart

In Burgenland, Red Bull Salzburg faces an unfamiliar task. The "Bulls" visit Regionalliga club SV Oberwart, where Gernot Plassnegger is on the touchline. The 37-year-old German was unveiled as the new coach in Wals-Siezenheim in mid-June and, after five weeks of preparation, is set to make his competitive debut in match conditions. He expects the Burgenland side to "dass sie uns mit allen Mitteln das Leben schwer machen werden." "Wir wollen Spiele haben, wir wollen den Wettbewerb haben und wir wollen erfolgreich sein," said Röhl.

Salzburg's Röhl ahead of competitive debut

According to the Salzburg hierarchy, the Burgenland side will be well organized. Unavailable in Burgenland are Stefan Lainer (heel) and Justin Omoregie (thigh). After the dress rehearsal against Düsseldorf, the first real test should show how far Röhl's team already is.

Vienna derbies and Rapid's competitive task

Attention then shifts to the capital. Austria Wien must travel to Wiener Sport-Club in Hernals after their European away trip to Latvia (6:00 PM/live on ORF 1 and Sport24 live ticker). The neighborhood derby promises extra tension, especially as the Violets could rotate their squad after the European exertions. Rapid provides the finale on Sunday evening against Ostliga promoted side SV Wienerberg in Favoriten (8:30 PM/live on ORF Sport+ and Sport24 live ticker).

Overall, the ÖFB Cup kickoff shows the familiar mix of clear favorites and potential banana skins. While Salzburg, Rapid and Austria face lower-division opponents, LASK take on a motivated Regionalliga side. For Röhl, the match in Oberwart is the first real benchmark; for Kühbauer, it is the continuation of an impressive cup run.