Yahoo Sports Hunger and excitement ahead of Bundesliga start
Revenge in our sights this season
There has been great excitement brewing at our club in recent weeks under Pepijn Lijnders, and now it is finally time - our time for revenge starts NOW!
Having failed to win any silverware in 2023/24, we want to step up and take the ÖFB Cup and Austrian Bundesliga back to Salzburg. The first test of our credentials comes on Friday at 20:30 in Graz, albeit at a newly promoted side rather than champions Sturm.
It is almost 17 years since GAK were last in the Bundesliga and after a dominant past season in the second tier, they are delighted to be back in the top flight. A couple of bad omens for the hosts - our Red Bulls tend to be right on the button at the start of the season, winning our opening match in each of the last seven seasons, and scoring at least two goals in each encounter! The most recent clash between the sides (a cup semi-final in 2019) ended in our boys winning 6-0.
The last few seasons have shown that newly promoted sides have a good chance of shining on their first year in the Austrian Bundesliga, with most doing well. GAK proved to be strong at home last season, suffering just one defeat.
Our boys will be looking to take the spirit they have developed in recent weeks into a challenging week ahead with our first leg of UEFA Champions League qualifying awaiting on Tuesday.
Our boys can look forward to plenty of away support on Friday. Anyone wanting to travel to cheer us on can find out everything they need to know here:
The My RBS Tippspiel is back!
The new ADMIRAL Bundesliga season means there will be another My RBS Prediction Game! This will give you the chance to compete against your friends and other fans each week and win great prizes – taking part is completely free! Just register via the link below, if you haven't yet, and make your predictions for the next matchday. Before the first matchday there are also six bonus questions to answer, which can lead to extra points at the end of the season.
Injury news
Not available for the match are Fernando (thigh), Daouda Guindo (metatarsal), Takumu Kawamura (knee) and Alexander Schlager (knee).
Oscar Gloukh is back in Salzburg after Israel's exit from the Olympic Games and has trained with us since Thursday.
Views
We are pleased that it's getting going again and that we can be part of the opening Bundesliga match. We are facing a newly promoted team, who will definitely be very motivated at the start of the season. We worked really well in pre-season, however, and are feeling very positive about the match at GAK. We are in the middle of the transfer window, which runs until the start of September. There isn't that much to report about at the moment regarding transfers. We are working on it and are pleased that the team has looked so solid in pre-season.
I'm also pleased that the league is starting. We had a good pre-season and it's been a new start with lots of new ideas for the team. I have to pay the players a big complement as they have done this really well.
The match on Friday will definitely not be easy. GAK are coming into the Bundesliga as a newly promoted side feeling very positive. They only lost three matches in the league last season, which says a lot. They are doing really well, and we need to treat the match with respect.
Most recent Bundesliga matches v GAK
05.05.2007 GAK 1902 0–0 FC Red Bull Salzburg
24.02.2007 FC Red Bull Salzburg 2–1 GAK 1902 (H/T:0-1)
29.10.2006 GAK 1902 0–2 FC Red Bull Salzburg (0-1)
05.08.2006 FC Red Bull Salzburg 4–1 GAK 1902 (2-0)
02.04.2006 FC Red Bull Salzburg 5–0 GAK 1902 (4-0)
20.11.2005 GAK 1902 3–1 FC Red Bull Salzburg (2-1)
21.09.2005 FC Red Bull Salzburg 1–0 GAK 1902 (1-0)
12.07.2005 GAK 1902 3–1 FC Red Bull Salzburg (1-1)
