Regionalliga Salzburg Matchday 22: FC Pinzgau Saalfelden vs. Salzburger AK 1914
April 9 2020 (16:00 CET), Saalfelden Arena
How To Watch:
English Stream – fan.at and fcps.at
The Opposition
Salzburger Athletiksport Klub are the oldest club in Salzburg, having been founded on 24 June 1914. They were the dominant force in the region in the interwar period, becoming state champions 15 years in a row between 1924 and 1938. But after WW2, their superiority waned and their successes became more spread out. They did reach the Austrian top flight three times (in 1953, 1962 and 1986), but were immediately relegated on each occasion.
After almost going bankrupt in 1991, SAK found themselves down in the fifth tier. But they have gradually climbed back up through the pyramid and returned to the third division at the close of the 2018/19 campaign. They were promotion contenders in their first season, though their aspirations were dashed – by a combination of the pandemic and infrastructural problems – and they have been languishing in the lower echelons of the table ever since.
Team News
FC Pinzgau Saalfelden will still be without the injured duo of defender Alessandro Ziege and midfielder Lukas Moosmann for the visit of Salzburger AK. Attacking midfielders Joao Pedro and Sebastian Handlechner will also miss the game through illness, but Niklas Seiler is fit and available to face the men from Nonntal.
Petrit Nika, who scored nine times during the regular season and has netted in every league game since the winter break, is the undisputed danger man for the visitors. But watch out for defensive midfielder Stefan Federer, who has also found the net five times this season, and centre-back Daniel Raischl, who used to ply his trade in Saalfelden.
Recent Form
While FCPS have not won a league match on the pitch this spring – they were awarded three points after the Wals-Grünau game was cancelled, however – and lost their first competitive home game in 539 days against Seekirchen last time out, Salzburger AK are on the up: they have put together their first three-match unbeaten streak of the Regionalliga season, with a 2-0 win away to Wals-Grünau sandwiched in between 1-1 draws at home to Kuchl and Grödig.
Head-To-Head Record
FC Pinzgau have their noses in front in this fixture, with nine victories, six draws and six defeats from their previous 21 meetings. SAK are also the only team the Mountainous Pine Blues beat twice in the regular season: Ziege’s men won 3-2 at home in August, before triumphing 2-1 at the HCS-Arena Nonntal – their only away win of the campaign to date – in October.