Sturm Graz
- Fabio Ingolitsch’s Sturm have won just one of their last five competitive matches, including a 0 - 3 Europa League defeat to Feyenoord and domestic losses to Austria Wien and WSG Tirol.
- Sturm have more home advantage and their head-to-head record over Ried is superior, but the visitors are playing well and look good value to avoid defeat in this match, which could be decided by a single goal.
SV Ried
- Ried have won three of their last four in the Bundesliga, with a 3-0 home win over Altach and a 2-1 away victory at Rapid Wien, lifting the Villagers into sixth place in the table.
- Ried have been in excellent shape, with coach Maximilian Senft (in charge since 2023) creating a compact, structured side that plays with discipline and counters effectively.
- Ried’s wing-backs provide width and structure in possession, while their central midfielders and defensive players are very good on the ball.
- Philipp Pomer is the assist leader for Ried and is the hub of their midfield, distributing and dictating play.
Head-to-Head
Sturm have more home advantage and their head-to-head record over Ried is superior, but the visitors are playing well and look good value to avoid defeat in this match, which could be decided by a single goal.
Key Players
- Otar Kiteishvili has 7-8 league goals for Sturm, while Kingstone Mutandwa is Ried’s top scorer with the same haul.
- Otar Kiteishvili is Sturm’s attacking heartbeat, providing an aerial target, an outlet for set plays and the creativity to unlock the most stubborn of defences with his dribbling and passing range.
- Ried’s Kingstone Mutandwa has a similar league tally, and will be the main man up front on Sunday.
- He is a significant threat on the break and from set pieces, where Ried have been very effective in recent weeks.
Betting Insights
- The bookmakers make Sturm Graz 1.95 favourites for this game, which looks way too short given Ried’s form and how compact they have been at the back recently, conceding one goal in their three wins.
- Under 2.5 goals is the top bet at 1.85 as it looks unlikely this game will feature many goals unless one or the other cracks first.
Prediction
- The match of Sturm’s high-tempo pressing game and Ried’s counterattacking style should be a chess match in which control of the half-spaces and transition play will be crucial.
- Ried’s wing-backs provide width and structure in possession, while their central midfielders and defensive players are very good on the ball.
- Senft’s team have looked good going forward in their recent wins, which should make this a tough game for the hosts.
- Sturm have more home advantage and their head-to-head record over Ried is superior, but the visitors are playing well and look good value to avoid defeat in this match, which could be decided by a single goal.
