Starting position
On paper, the starting position is clear: the Red Bulls have won their last seven games in a row and have steadily improved their team play. This was also the case in yesterday's home game against FTC-Telekom Budapest, in which the Salzburg team never left any doubt about the outcome of the match and won 5-1. The Red Bulls remain in sixth place in the table, but already have a comfortable lead over Székesfehérvár (13 points) and are hot on the heels of the teams above them; level on points with Bolzano (5th, but with two games in hand), just one point behind Pustertal (4th) and Ljubljana (3rd, but with one game more).
The situation is quite different for Innsbruck, who are bottom of the table and have rarely had cause for celebration in recent rounds. Yesterday, the Tyroleans lost 1-4 in Linz. And yet the Red Bulls will need to be fully focused if they want to defeat the Sharks, who are always capable of springing a surprise, especially at home, in their third game of the season. In the last game before Christmas, the VSV also suffered a 2-5 defeat there. The same fate befell league leaders Klagenfurt, who lost 6-9 in Innsbruck at the end of November.
Salzburg's winning streak against Innsbruck
While the Innsbruck Sharks were often considered the “bogey team” for the Red Bulls in the past, they have recently become the reigning champions' favorite opponent. The Red Bulls have won the last six encounters with HCI, with Innsbruck's last victory (4-3 in Innsbruck) dating back to January 19, 2024.
