In a gripping top-of-the-table clash in the 2. Liga, SKN St. Pölten hosts Austria Vienna (Am) at NV Arena on December 5, 2025. With SKN St. Pölten perched atop the standings with a healthy 29 points and Austria Vienna (Am) sitting in sixth place at 21 points, the stakes couldn't be higher. Will St. Pölten assert their dominance, or can Austria Vienna muster an upset to inch closer to the playoff places?
Let's dive into what each side brings to this electric matchup.
Predicted Lineups: SKN St. Pölten: GK: Marcel Kurz, DEF: Dirk Carlson, Sondre Skogen, Lukas Buchegger, Timo Altersberger, David Riegler; MID: Marc Stendera, Winfred Amoah, Leomend Krasniqi; FWD: Furkan Dursun, Marco Hausjell. Austria Vienna (Am): GK: Kenan Jusic, DEF: Aleksa Ilić, Valentin Toifl, Felix Fischer; MID: Matteo Schablas, Filip Lukic, Dominik Nisandzic; FWD: Philipp Hosiner.
St. Pölten enters this match licking their wounds from recent setbacks but still holds a formidable record of nine wins out of fourteen matches. Their last outing saw them scrape a draw against WSPG Wels-hardly the statement they'd hoped for heading into this decisive contest. The question is: can they shake off that shaky form? They've been too hot and cold lately; following three losses in four matches leading up to the draw could make anyone nervous ahead of facing hungry opposition.
On the other side of the pitch stands Austria Vienna (Am), fresh off back-to-back victories over SV Kapfenberg and Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz. They might sit lower in the table right now but are buzzing after showing resilience with two late goals from Valentin Toifl. With six wins so far in the campaign and building momentum through this uptick in form-there's nothing more dangerous than a team that believes it can spring an upset when faced with a giant.
Digging deeper into these teams' performances reveals some telling statistics. SKN St. Pölten has shown flashes of brilliance-boasting an expected goals (xG) total per game that suggests they create scoring opportunities aplenty-but inconsistency remains their nemesis. In recent matches where they dominated possession but couldn't convert it into goals-like their draws against WSPG and Floridsdorfer-they've seemed almost allergic to finishing plays with quality chances.
Conversely, Austria Vienna's tactics have shifted as they've settled into a rhythm under pressure recently-seemingly finding their groove offensively while still grappling with defensive vulnerabilities evident in their defeats against tougher opponents like FC Liefering and Floridsdorfer AC earlier in November. Their attack led by Philipp Hosiner will look to exploit any hesitance from the St.Pölten defense which may still be reeling after several lapses recently.
When analyzing head-to-head history between these squads-a major factor heading into any matchup-we see clear advantages for SKN St. Pölten who has won four out of five encounters since August 2025 including a resounding 4-1 victory earlier this season. But past results don't guarantee future outcomes; if there's one thing we've learned from football it's that momentum can swing on a dime when two passionate sides take the field.
Key players for both teams will certainly dictate how this battle unfolds: for SKN St. Pölten, watch for Marco Hausjell, who thrives on creating chances and needs to find his scoring boots again; while for Austria Vienna (Am), keep an eye on Toifl, whose knack for popping up when least expected could capitalize on any lapses from opposing defenders trying too hard not to blink first.
In conclusion-the combination of tactical variations between both teams along with key individual performances could provide fireworks on December 5th as tension mounts at NV Arena. Given current form contrasted against historical performance-it seems that SKN St.Pölten will have their hands full but ultimately should manage to cling onto home advantage just long enough to edge out Austria Vienna by one goal amid fervent backing from supporters hoping for another three-point haul.
So here it is: Expect SKN St.Pölten to prevail by a scoreline of 2-1 in what promises to be another nail-biter deep down into December as both teams' ambitions take center stage!