Austria : Bundesliga - Wolfsberger AC vs Rapid Wien

Rapid Wien entered the season in excellent form and won their first four league matches before running into Salzburg.

Their opening results included:
1-0 vs Altach
2-1 away at Ried
8-0 vs Grazer AK
3-1 vs Sturm Graz

That means Rapid won four consecutive Bundesliga matches before the 5-1 defeat at Salzburg. Across their opening five league games they scored 15 goals – an average of exactly 3.00 per match – and their victories have included both narrow, controlled wins and dominant attacking performances. The 8-0 naturally inflates the scoring average, but even removing that freak result, Rapid scored seven goals in their other four matches. Wolfsberger have been considerably less convincing. They started with a 3-0 victory against Austria Wien but have struggled to build momentum and were recently beaten 3-1 at home by LASK. Rapid have therefore shown both the higher ceiling and much better ability to consistently turn performances into three points. The away venue adds risk – especially after Rapid's heavy Salzburg defeat – but four wins from five compared with Wolfsberger's inconsistent start still gives Rapid the stronger statistical profile.