LASK vs Ried Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview – Austrian Bundesliga 14 August 2026
First, one important date correction: LASK vs SV Ried is officially scheduled for Friday, 14 August 2026 at 19:30 local time at the Raiffeisen Arena, not 15 August. It is Matchday 3 of the Austrian Bundesliga and the 70th Upper Austrian derby between these clubs.
And the timing could hardly be better for LASK.
Dietmar Kühbauer’s side have opened the new Bundesliga season with two wins from two, five goals scored and none conceded. Add their 7-0 Austrian Cup victory over Kalsdorf and LASK have started competitive action with a remarkable 12-0 aggregate score across three matches. Their club also notes that their last competitive defeat dates back to 22 March 2026.
Ried arrive in very different circumstances. Mario Despotovic’s side drew 1-1 away to Austria Lustenau on the opening weekend before losing 2-1 at home to Rapid Vienna. They therefore travel to Linz with one point from two league games, although their performance against Rapid was more competitive than the result alone suggests.
For anyone sorting through the Best football betting tips for today, this is not quite as simple as looking at the league table and automatically backing LASK at any price. Ried won at this stadium last season and have traditionally caused their regional rivals plenty of trouble.
Still, based on what we have seen during the first two weeks of the campaign, LASK clearly start this derby in the stronger position.
Summer Changes
LASK entered the summer as Austrian champions and cup winners, so their task was more about strengthening an already successful team than rebuilding from scratch.
One of their most interesting additions is Robert Ljubicic, who arrived on loan from AEK Athens with a purchase option. The 27-year-old has immediately moved into Kühbauer’s midfield and started the recent 2-0 win at Austria Vienna.
Ramiz Harakate also joined from GAK on a contract running until 2029, although his season has suffered an unfortunate early setback. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the cup game against Kalsdorf and is expected to be unavailable for a long period.
The squad now contains a useful mixture of established players such as Sascha Horvath and Moses Usor alongside newer options including Ljubicic, Alessandro Schöpf, Kryštof Daněk and Miguel Freckleton. Importantly, Kühbauer has not had to spend August teaching an entirely new team how to play together.
Ried’s summer has been much busier.
They brought in experienced midfielder Stefan Schwab from Holstein Kiel. The former Rapid and PAOK midfielder was recruited specifically to give the team greater leadership and control, and he has already opened his account by scoring against Rapid last weekend.
Lukas Malicsek arrived from Admira and gives Ried a versatile defensive player who can operate in midfield or across the back line.
The club also added Austrian U19 international Oliver Sorg, Samuel Chukwudi, Jaedin Rhodes and several younger attacking prospects. Croatian U19 striker Tino Kusanovic, on loan from Nürnberg with a purchase option, became Ried’s ninth new signing of the window in early August.
So while LASK look like a settled champion adding individual pieces, Ried are still working out exactly how a substantially altered squad fits together under a new coach.
Team Form
LASK’s league start has been close to perfect.
They opened with a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Grazer AK and followed it by beating Austria Vienna 2-0 away. Andrés Andrade broke the deadlock in Vienna after 54 minutes before Moses Usor added the second in the 83rd.
More impressive than the five goals is perhaps the zero in the other column.
Lukas Jungwirth has two league clean sheets, and LASK’s structure behind the ball has so far prevented opponents from turning transitions into serious problems. That defensive stability is one reason this year’s strong opening looks more convincing than a couple of flattering scorelines.
Ried began the league with a 1-1 draw at Austria Lustenau. They then lost 2-1 to Rapid, but that second result needs some context.
Ried created several decent chances. Stefan Schwab hit the crossbar in the first half, while Evan Aisowieren, Jaedin Rhodes, Pape Sissoko and Tobias Lund Jensen all had opportunities during the match. Schwab finally equalised in the 76th minute, only for Rapid to regain the lead almost immediately.
That was frustrating for Ried, but it also showed that Despotovic’s team can compete against stronger opposition.
The problem is converting good spells into points.
LASK, at the moment, are doing exactly that.
Tactical Analysis
Kühbauer has LASK playing with a back three and aggressive wing-backs, giving the team width without sacrificing numbers in central midfield.
Against Austria Vienna, the starting defence was built around Andrés Andrade, Joao Tornich and Xavier Mbuyamba, with George Bello and Kasper Jörgensen operating wider. Sascha Horvath and Robert Ljubicic controlled the centre, while Kryštof Daněk, Christoph Lang and Samuel Adeniran occupied the attacking positions.
The interesting part is what happens when LASK lose possession.
Their counter-press has been strong enough that opponents have rarely been able to run directly at the back three. Ried’s Stefan Schwab has already identified LASK’s transition protection as one of their major strengths this season.
Ried are more likely to use a conventional 4-2-3-1.
Against Rapid, Maart and Schwab formed the central midfield pair, with Rhodes, Nasrawe and Bajic supporting Aisowieren. Malicsek and Sorg operated as full-backs.
Their route to causing an upset is fairly clear.
They cannot spend 90 minutes defending the edge of their penalty area. LASK will eventually create too much pressure. Instead, Ried need to survive the first press and quickly attack the areas outside LASK’s three centre-backs.
That is particularly important for people following VIP football predictions rather than simply choosing the biggest name on the coupon. The tactical question is whether Ried can consistently get through LASK’s first wave of pressure. So far this season, nobody has managed it often enough.
Set pieces could also matter.
Schwab gives Ried experience and quality from dead-ball situations, while the physical presence of Chukwudi and Steurer can create problems inside the box. In an away derby where clear chances may be limited, those situations cannot be wasted.
Key Players
Samuel Adeniran – LASK
Adeniran has started the season sharply and already has two Bundesliga goals and an assist according to LASK’s current squad statistics. His physical presence gives Kühbauer a strong central reference point while the quicker attackers move around him.
Ried’s centre-backs will have to deal with him without becoming so narrow that they leave easy space for Lang and Daněk.
Moses Usor – LASK
Usor remains one of the most dangerous players in this squad.
He scored LASK’s second goal in Vienna after coming from the bench and gives Kühbauer exactly what he wants late in games: pace against tiring defenders.
If the match is still close after an hour, his introduction could completely change the tempo.
Sascha Horvath – LASK
Horvath is the organiser.
He captained LASK against Austria Vienna and remains central to their possession game. He does not always need to make the final pass himself; his main value is keeping attacks moving and making sure LASK spend long periods in the opponent’s half.
Stefan Schwab – Ried
At 35, Schwab was not signed to win foot races.
He was brought in to give this young Ried squad control, leadership and better decision-making. He scored his first Ried goal against his former club Rapid and nearly scored earlier in the match when his long-range attempt hit the crossbar.
If Ried are going to manage the emotional side of this derby, Schwab will be important.
Evan Eghosa Aisowieren – Ried
Aisowieren should again provide the central attacking threat.
He tested Rapid’s goalkeeper several times last weekend and is capable of attacking space quickly rather than waiting for Ried to construct long passing sequences.
That makes him a sensible striker for this particular fixture.
Lukas Malicsek – Ried
Malicsek may have one of the toughest assignments of the evening.
His versatility has already been useful to Despotovic, and against LASK he will need to defend aggressively while also finding the right moments to move forward.
Expected Lineups
These are projected lineups, not confirmed starting XIs, based mainly on the teams used during the previous Bundesliga round.
LASK – Possible XI
Formation: 3-4-3
GK: Lukas Jungwirth
CB: Andrés Andrade
CB: Joao Tornich
CB: Xavier Mbuyamba
RWB: Kasper Jörgensen
CM: Sascha Horvath
CM: Robert Ljubicic
LWB: George Bello
RW: Christoph Lang
ST: Samuel Adeniran
LW: Kryštof Daněk
That is essentially the XI Kühbauer selected for the 2-0 victory at Austria Vienna. Moses Usor and Alessandro Schöpf are obvious alternatives if the coach wants more speed or fresh legs.
Ramiz Harakate is unavailable following his ACL injury.
SV Ried – Possible XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
GK: Andreas Leitner
RB: Lukas Malicsek
CB: Samuel Chukwudi
CB: Oliver Steurer
LB: Oliver Sorg
CM: Benjamin Maart
CM: Stefan Schwab
RW: Jaedin Rhodes
AM: Jussef Nasrawe
LW: Nemanja Bajic
ST: Evan Eghosa Aisowieren
This was Ried’s starting structure against Rapid. Rhodes, however, is officially listed as doubtful for the derby, so Tobias Lund Jensen is one possible replacement.
Philipp Pomer and Dominik Stöger are ruled out, while Fabian Rossdorfer and Rhodes are doubtful.
Head-to-Head
This derby has a much richer history than the current league positions suggest.
Across the previous 69 Upper Austrian derbies, Ried actually hold the better overall record: 25 victories for Ried, 23 for LASK and 21 draws, with Ried also leading the aggregate goal count 88-82.
Looking only at Bundesliga meetings, Ried also have the historical advantage. They have won 19 of the 50 league encounters, compared with 15 LASK victories and 16 draws.
And last season certainly gives the visitors something to believe in.
- LASK 1-3 Ried – 30 August 2025
- Ried 1-1 LASK – 14 February 2026
- Ried 1-2 LASK after extra time – Austrian Cup semi-final, 18 March 2026
That 3-1 Ried victory at the Raiffeisen Arena is particularly relevant.
LASK themselves have referenced it before this game, with Kühbauer making clear that his players have not forgotten what happened here last season.
So there is plenty of evidence against treating Ried as a harmless underdog.
Betting Markets
1X2: LASK to Win
This is the straightforward selection.
LASK have six points from six, a 5-0 league goal difference and home advantage. Ried have one point and have already conceded against both Austria Lustenau and Rapid.
Ried’s derby record means I would not treat this as a certainty, but everything about the current form points towards the hosts.
Pick: LASK to Win
Asian Handicap: LASK -1
This is the more ambitious option.
A one-goal victory would return the stake on the standard -1 Asian line, while anything bigger produces the full win.
Given LASK’s opening results of 3-0 and 2-0, the argument is obvious. The only reason not to push further towards -1.5 is that recent matches against Ried have been much tighter than LASK’s current form against other opponents.
Pick: LASK AH -1
Over/Under 2.5 Goals: Under 3.5 Goals
Rather than automatically chasing Over 2.5 because LASK have been scoring freely, I prefer a slightly different angle.
Ried know they cannot turn this into an open end-to-end match. LASK have conceded zero competitive goals this season, while two of last season’s three meetings finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and 1-1 before extra time in the cup semi-final.
A controlled LASK victory such as 2-0 or 2-1 makes plenty of sense.
Pick: Under 3.5 Goals
Both Teams to Score: No
There is a decent argument for BTTS – No.
LASK have opened with two league clean sheets and have not conceded in any of their first three competitive matches. Ried created opportunities against Rapid, so this is not a market I would rate above the match-winner selection, but current defensive form clearly supports the hosts.
Pick: Goal/Goal-No
Half-Time Market: LASK to Lead at Half-Time
This carries more risk.
Derbies can take time to settle and Ried showed against Rapid that they can remain competitive even when the opponent has more quality.
For that reason, I would rank the full-time LASK win comfortably above the half-time option.
Anyone comparing the Best football betting tips for today should therefore avoid trying to force five different selections from the same match. There is one clear angle here: LASK are playing the better football and should have enough quality to turn territorial control into a home victory.
Best Bet
LASK to Win
I would keep the main selection simple.
LASK have scored five and conceded none through their opening two league matches. Across their first three competitive games, they have scored 12 without conceding. They are also playing at home and have the deeper squad.
Ried deserve more respect than the league table suggests.
They won 3-1 in this stadium last season, their historical derby record is positive and their 2-1 loss to Rapid contained several good attacking spells.
But betting analysis is about what is most likely to happen now, not what happened twelve months ago.
At this stage of August, LASK look sharper, more settled and much harder to break down.
Best Bet: LASK to Win
Alternative: LASK AH -1
Goals Pick: Under 3.5 Goals
BTTS Pick: Goal/Goal-No
Higher-Risk Combination: LASK to Win & Under 3.5 Goals
Score Prediction
LASK 2-0 SV Ried
I do not expect this to be as comfortable as LASK’s 3-0 result against GAK might suggest.
Ried know this opponent extremely well and will probably make the first half physical, compact and frustrating. Schwab’s experience should help them avoid getting dragged into a frantic game.
The difference is that LASK currently have several ways to change a match.
Adeniran can occupy the centre-backs, Daněk and Lang can attack around him, while Usor gives Kühbauer genuine acceleration from the bench.
Ried may survive for long periods, but asking them to do it for 90 minutes against a team that has not yet conceded a competitive goal this season looks difficult.
Score Prediction: LASK 2-0 Ried
FAQ
When is LASK vs Ried?
The match is officially scheduled for Friday, 14 August 2026 at 19:30 local time at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz.
Is the match on 15 August?
No. The current official schedule lists 14 August 2026, so 15 August would be an incorrect publication date for the fixture.
Who is favourite to win?
LASK are the logical favourites based on current form. They have won their first two Bundesliga matches without conceding and sit on six points, while Ried have one point from two matches.
What is the best bet for LASK vs Ried?
My main selection is LASK to win.
For a more aggressive approach, LASK AH -1 is interesting.
Will both teams score?
I lean towards Goal/Goal-No. LASK have yet to concede in competitive football this season, although Ried did create enough chances against Rapid to make this a slightly more dangerous market than the home win.
What is the best goals market?
Under 3.5 goals is my preferred total.
A result around 2-0 or 2-1 fits both LASK’s current defensive strength and the generally competitive nature of recent meetings between the clubs.
Did Ried beat LASK last season?
Yes. Ried won 3-1 at the Raiffeisen Arena on 30 August 2025. The return league game finished 1-1, while LASK later won the Austrian Cup semi-final 2-1 after extra time.
What is the predicted score?
LASK 2-0 SV Ried.
Conclusion
There is enough derby history here to stop us calling this an automatic home win.
Ried have actually won more of the previous Upper Austrian derbies, they took four league points from LASK last season and they have added experienced players such as Stefan Schwab during the summer.
But the current version of LASK looks extremely difficult to oppose.
Kühbauer’s team have begun with three competitive victories, 12 goals scored and none conceded. They beat Austria Vienna 2-0 away without needing a spectacular performance, which is often a more encouraging sign than simply destroying a weaker opponent.
The logic behind VIP football predictions should be exactly the same as any disciplined match analysis: do not complicate a strong position just to produce a more exciting selection. LASK have the better current form, the stronger defensive numbers, home advantage and considerably more depth from the bench.
Ried should make it physical and competitive. They may keep the score level for a while.
Over 90 minutes, LASK should have too much.
Final Prediction: LASK 2-0 SV Ried
Best Bet: LASK to Win
Asian Handicap: LASK AH -1
Goals Pick: Under 3.5 Goals
BTTS: Goal/Goal-No