Rapid finds itself playing catch-up: the Viennese need not just a win at home, but a win by at least two goals to advance to the Conference League, or a 1-0 lead to force the game into overtime. The visitors from Ried will be banking on an early away goal, which would practically guarantee their place in Europe, while the hosts are obliged to attack with force from the start.
The first match showed that both defenses are far from ideal under high pressure: Ried scored from a set piece and after a blunder by a defender, and Rapid responded with a beautiful goal from Amane. Moreover, the head-to-head record points to a high-scoring game – three of the last four games between these rivals have featured over 2.5 goals. Rapid is in terrible form (four defeats in the last five matches), but at home, driven by their footballing frenzy, they are obliged to attack, leaving huge spaces in their wake.
Given Ried's motivation (they don't need to take risks from the first minute, but counterattacking is their main asset) and Rapid's desperate attitude, a clean sheet is virtually impossible to see. A likely scenario: the hosts will rush to come back, miss a first-half attack, but still manage to score a goal of their own in an attempt to salvage the match.
