Austria Vienna made light work of Amstetten at the Ertl-Glas-Stadion on Friday, winning 4-2 in the Second League to move clear of their hosts in the table. The match opened with a moment of surprise when J. Steiger found the net in the first minute, and by then the visitors were already on the back foot. They responded through M. Hausjell and F. Kochl before half-time, and Austria Vienna never looked back after that.
Steiger's opener came so early it barely registered as a threat, but the hosts quickly recovered. Hausjell equalised in the 21st minute, and Kochl finished the half with a composed finish of his own in the 24th. P. Offenthaler picked up a yellow card as the first period wound down, and Amstetten made two changes at the break, including a double substitution for F. Hajdini.
And here's the thing about second-half football — the game opened up. Hausjell struck again in the 59th minute, and Kochl made it three of his own in the 60th before completing his brace in the 64th. Amstetten had no answer to the movement, and Austria Vienna were camped in the final third, turning the game into a procession. J. Steiger came off in the 67th, replaced by V. Augustus, and the momentum had fully shifted.
Amstetten did manage a late substitution storm, bringing on B. Jerabek, N. Polonkai and M. Brandt in quick succession, but the damage was done. Kochl himself was withdrawn in the 88th alongside A. Haider, and M. Moswitzer collected a second yellow to add a minor note of drama at the end.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. Both sides shared possession at 50 per cent, but Amstetten generated 131 attacks to Austria Vienna's 99 and took 12 corners against four. The hosts threw in more balls, but the visitors were the ones who made them count.
By then the table had shifted. Austria Vienna sit fifth with nine points from five games, while Amstetten drop to ninth on six. The visitors have not won since their opening day, but this result puts them back among the contenders, and Amstetten's run of draws is finally coming to an end.