Starting position
Third in the table against bottom of the table - the Red Bulls are not only the favorites on paper in the second season duel with the Vorarlbergers. In terms of performance, Salzburg have also found consistency at a high level in recent encounters, which is also reflected in their current streak of six wins across all competitions. However, the last match against Innsbruck showed once again that every win has to be hard-earned. The team in twelfth place in the table from Tyrol was inferior in terms of play, but made the most of its chances and made life difficult for the Red Bulls right up to the final buzzer.
The Pioneers Vorarlberg have yet to get going. After a strong end to last year's championship season (2:4 series in the quarter-finals against Klagenfurt), they have only managed to win once in the first eight ICE rounds of the current season. Overall, the team at the bottom of the table has only managed five wins in 19 games. Nevertheless, the warning finger remains raised: The Vorarlbergers won 4:1 in Vienna eleven days ago and the Red Bulls' first 6:5 victory in Feldkirch (4.10.24) was only secured after a comeback in the final third and subsequent overtime.
Accurate trio of forwards
Similar to the last game against Innsbruck, the Vorarlbergers also have three shooters to keep an eye on. Joshua Passolt (who scored twice against the Red Bulls), David Keefer and Brady Gilmour are responsible for 21 goals between them and thus almost half of all the Pioneers' goals (44).
By comparison, the Red Bulls' top trio of Peter Schneider, Troy Bourke and Thomas Raffl have scored 25 goals out of a total of 68 goals scored by the Salzburgers.