Ried target cup upset against holders LASK in Upper Austria derby

SV Ried will try to knock defending champions LASK out of the Austrian Cup in Wednesday’s Upper Austria derby, ORF reports. Kick-off at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz is scheduled for 20:30, with 13,500 tickets sold by Tuesday afternoon.

LASK beat Ried 2-1 after extra time in the semi-final on March 18, then went on to complete a double. Ried changed its approach for this season under new coach Mario Despotovic, placing more emphasis on solutions through play. LASK won their meeting in August 4-1.

LASK coach Dietmar Kühbauer said the derby would be tense and that his side knew it was the favourite and the team everyone wanted to beat. He said his players needed to move on quickly from Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by Salzburg, adding that they had made mistakes they could not afford against any opponent.

Ried are seeking their first derby win of the year. Goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth said a derby was always special and that the cup made it even more intense. Sporting director Lukas Brandl said Ried expected a tough cup contest against a top team, while veteran Stefan Schwab said his side wanted to put up a “heated fight” and believed it could progress.