Lustenau (home)
- Lustenau currently occupy 3rd place in the 2. Liga and are solidly in the promotion race.
- Cold, overcast conditions of around 2 - 4°C won’t be ideal for Lustenau, who play a possession-based, patient style of football, typically in a narrow 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
- They set up to be structured and have their central midfielders dictate the play, but they can get the ball wide and use those areas as their biggest threat.
- Jack Lahne is the most dangerous player and is the top scorer this season.
Kapfenberg (away)
- Kapfenberg are languishing in the lower mid-table zone, nearer the relegation than the promotion battle.
- Kapfenberg are a team that can really cause problems for Lustenau with their high-tempo 4-3-3 system that is based on pressing and counter-attacking.
- The visitors will set up to frustrate and press Lustenau, looking to force errors and win the ball high up the field so they can counter at pace down the wings.
- They have an inconsistent recent run and need to find some consistency, especially having struggled to score in several of their games leading into this contest.
Head-to-Head
Kapfenberg’s head-to-head record against Lustenau over the last 18 months is superior to that of Lustenau.
Key Players
- Jack Lahne is the most dangerous player and is the top scorer this season.
- Luca Hassler is their most dangerous attacker, ranking among the team's top scorers and often leading their chance creation.
- Nicolas Pribag and Albin Berisha are in and around the squad and give Kapfenberg some real firepower, with both players capable of being decisive on their day.
Betting Insights
- Lustenau are strong favorites at 1.6 to take the points in this game and with home advantage, they will be fully expected to win, while Kapfenberg are given as long shots at 5.1 and the draw is 3.65.
- The Over 2.5 goals market is coming in at 1.8, which is a bit pricey considering that Lustenau have consistently found the net and conceded in recent matches.
- Kapfenberg’s games have often been low-scoring due to their struggles to score, so I expect a tighter contest.
Prediction
- The hosts should be favoured to win this one because of their superior form in the league and also because of their quality in this fixture.
- However, there are a few reasons to think that they won’t have it all their own way on Friday, including a strong head-to-head performance by Kapfenberg over the past 18 months.
