0-2 defeat at the runners-up with brave showing | OneFootball

Blow before the break changes match

SKN St. Pölten 2-0 FC Red Bull Salzburg Women (H/T:1-0). Goals: Vracevic (45.+3), Ebert (71.)

The second clash with a UEFA Women's Champions League contender in the space of a week saw a much more impressive performance, though our improvement was not rewarded with points. A set-piece and an St. Pölten counter-attack decided the ADMIRAL Women's Bundesliga away match in St. Pölten in the hosts' favour.

Match summary

For a long time, there was no discernible difference between the team currently vying for a Champions League spot against Juventus and the squad looking to bounce back after last week's disappointment in Vienna. This was primarily due to Dusan Pavlovic’s team defending with great concentration. Asides from a free-kick from Klein and a long-range shot from Ebert, there was little serious trouble for our defence to deal with.

In between, we also made our presence felt in attack; after Schirmbrand won the ball, Lena Triendl tried her luck, though she lacked the decisive touch. The fact that we didn't go into the break goalless against the former serial champions was down to a corner kick: Vracevic, lurking at the far post, steered the ball towards the goal with her knee, and Schirmbrand’s attempt to clear it came too late (45+3').

Our team managed to maintain their structure after the break as well. However, the class of the hosts eventually shone through. Wucher missed a chance following a clever corner routine, while Makovec, Ebert, and Aagaard found further opportunities around the hour mark. It was Ebert who ultimately doubled the lead, breaking free on the left, entering the penalty area, and finishing into the far corner (71').

We were unable to recover from that setback. Although Emelie Kobler tried to pull a goal back - forcing a save from goalkeeper Schlüter from a tight angle after a moment of sluggishness from SKN - we ultimately had to accept a 0–2 defeat, despite a spirited performance.

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Dusan Pavlovic

Line-ups & substitutions

SKN St. Pölten: Schlüter – Wucher (65. Vadasz/82. Vago), Vracevic, Klein ©, Tabotta – Laino (75. Lemesova), Woelki (65. Aistleitner), Balog – Aagaard, Matavkova (46. Makovec), Ebert

FC Red Bull Salzburg Women: Guha – Illinger, Akrap, Hamzic (46. L. Spinn), Schirmbrand – Lutz (81. Gierzinger), Grünwald – Schwarz (61. Pamminger), Plattner, Triendl (81. D'Angelo) – Wienerroither © (61. Kobler)

Yellow cards: Wucher (56./Unsporting behaviour), Vadasz (72./Foul) - Lutz (68./Foul), Kobler (90.+1/Dissent)

Attendance: 100

Referee: Oliver Fix

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