Vienna Rewarded with First Win of the Season
On matchday three of the ADMIRAL Frauen Bundesliga, Vienna travelled to Upper Austria to face SPG BW Linz/Kleinmünchen. The Döbling side took a 1–0 lead shortly before half-time, remained in control throughout the second half and secured their first win of the season with a 2–0 victory.
In sweltering heat and on difficult pitch conditions, the Döbling side were determined to claim their first three points of the young season against SPG BW Linz/Kleinmünchen.
Head coach Denny Krcmarek made one change to his starting XI compared with the previous matchday, with Milanovic replacing Fankhauser in the starting line-up.
Vienna Take Control
Vienna made a strong start and registered the first attempt as early as the second minute. Havel got a shot away but was denied by the Linz goalkeeper. The visitors subsequently dictated the game and repeatedly established themselves in the opposition half. The home side, however, defended compactly and initially allowed very few clear-cut chances.
After 20 minutes, Vienna tried their luck from distance, but the low effort went straight into the goalkeeper’s arms. Just a minute later, Kurkutovic fired from range, but once again failed to seriously trouble the Linz goalkeeper.
Shortly afterwards, Milanovic sent a dangerous high ball into the penalty area. The home goalkeeper was alert and cleared just in front of a Vienna player who was ready to finish, turning the ball behind for a corner.
The Döbling side remained the better team and repeatedly showed promising attacking moves. The only thing missing was the necessary precision with the final pass to turn their dominance into goals.
Linz Threaten for the First Time
In the 29th minute, the hosts created their first dangerous opportunity in front of the Vienna goal. Sprung beat her opponent with an individual run down the flank before shooting from a tight angle. Her effort struck the crossbar and bounced back into play.
Vienna were not unsettled by the warning and continued to push forward. In the 33rd minute, Kurkutovic tried another long-range effort, which this time flew narrowly over the bar.
Havel Rewards Vienna
Shortly before half-time, the Döbling side were finally rewarded for their committed performance – and it came after an excellent combination. Kurkutovic played Havel perfectly into space, and she beat two Linz defenders before finishing superbly into the far corner. In the 44th minute, Vienna deservedly took a 1–0 lead into the break.
Keckeis Doubles the Lead Shortly After Half-Time
Both teams returned from the dressing rooms unchanged. Vienna picked up where they had left off and doubled their advantage as early as the 47th minute. Following a fine passing move, a rebound fell to Kurkutovic, who produced an excellent assist for Keckeis. The Vorarlberg-born midfielder kept her composure from close range to make it 2–0 for the Blue and Yellow.
Vienna continued to look the stronger side. The hosts’ occasional forays forward initially posed little threat, while the visitors continued to look for opportunities to extend their lead.
In the 58th minute, Denny Krcmarek made his first substitution, bringing Fankhauser on for Milanovic. Almost immediately afterwards, Vienna had a huge chance to score a third. Havel found herself one-on-one with the Linz goalkeeper but was denied. The rebound fell to Kurkutovic, whose close-range effort was cleared off the line by a defender. Three minutes later, the hosts responded with a double substitution.
Vienna Keep the Pressure On
Even with a two-goal cushion, the Blue and Yellow continued to attack and repeatedly created promising opportunities. Havel was particularly impressive with a spectacular solo run, beating several defenders before eventually being stopped.
In the 68th minute, Vienna once again tried their luck from distance, although the effort failed to trouble the Linz goal.
Linz Rally Late On
The hosts showed signs of life in attack during the closing stages. In the 75th minute, however, a long-range effort went straight into the arms of Vienna goalkeeper Grabenhofer. Shortly afterwards, an Upper Austrian counter-attack produced a more dangerous opportunity: Müller got a shot away from just outside the six-yard box but sent the ball over the crossbar.
Vienna Control the Closing Stages
Vienna made another substitution in the 78th minute, with Batarilo replacing Keckeis. Four minutes later, Havel came close to making it 3–0. She got a shot away inside the penalty area, but the Linz goalkeeper reacted brilliantly at the last moment to prevent another goal.
In the 86th minute, the ball did find the back of the net once more. Following a pass from Hahn, Havel appeared to have scored a third, but the goal was ruled out for offside against the provider.
The final score therefore remained 2–0. Vienna saw out the game confidently and, after a controlled performance for much of the match, deservedly celebrated their first away win of the season.
FC Blau-Weiß Linz/Union Kleinmünchen vs. First Vienna FC 1894 0–2 (0–1)
ADMIRAL Frauen Bundesliga, Matchday 3
Saturday, 15 August, 3:00 PM
Aktivpark St. Georgen/Gusen, 60 spectators
Goals: 0–1 Havel (44'), 0–2 Keckeis (47')
Vienna: Grabenhofer, Brunmair, Mädl, Gebert, Milanovic (58' Fankhauser), Hahn, Sarac (90' Sergeeva), Keckeis (78' Batarilo), Kurkutovic (90' Heiplik), Wasser, Havel
