VIENNA (Interstat) — Petter Dahl scored twice before halftime and Rapid held off Hartberg for a 3-1 victory in an Austrian Bundesliga match on Friday. Rapid, the home side, struck early and never trailed. The win improved Rapid’s season record in the competition to 8 wins and 1 loss. Hartberg fell to 3 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws.

Dahl opened the scoring in the 6th minute, finishing a Rapid attack that set an aggressive tone. The home side kept pressing and was rewarded again in first-half stoppage time, when Dahl added his second in the 45th minute plus one. The two-goal burst gave Rapid control before the break and forced Hartberg to chase the match. Rapid kept pressure through midfield and limited Hartberg’s early chances to respond.

Jannes Kilian Horn restored Rapid’s two-goal cushion in the 81st minute, scoring the goal that effectively sealed the result. Horn’s strike came after Hartberg had briefly made the match uncomfortable. The visitors pushed forward in search of a second goal, but Rapid’s defense stayed compact and limited clear opportunities. Rapid then managed the closing stages without allowing another clear chance.

Magnus Dalpiaz scored Hartberg’s goal in the 49th minute. The goal cut the deficit to 2-1 and gave the visitors hope. Dalpiaz played the entire match and finished with one goal. Ercan Kara provided an assist for Rapid before he was substituted in the 71st minute. Oliver Lukic supplied the assist on Dalpiaz’s goal during a 44-minute appearance. Dalpiaz’s finish briefly changed the mood, but Rapid answered before Hartberg could turn the match into a tense finish.

The match grew physical as the second half wore on. Rapid’s S. Raux-Yao was booked in the 27th minute. Hartberg’s L. Maric received a yellow card in the 50th minute. K. Schopp was booked in the 57th minute, and J. Karner was cautioned in the 90th minute plus two. Those cards interrupted Hartberg’s attempts to push numbers forward.

Hartberg made two changes at halftime, introducing N. Feldhofer and Y. Diarra. Rapid brought on T. Adamsen in the 61st minute. Hartberg’s M. Pfeifer entered in the 66th minute. Rapid then removed E. Kara and P. Dahl in the 71st minute, with Dahl leaving after his two goals and Kara after his assist. Hartberg sent on A. Gattermayer in the 75th minute. Rapid used N. Bajlicz and Y. Demir in the 85th minute, and Hartberg’s M. Hoffmann came on in the 89th minute.

The result continued Rapid’s strong run in the competition. Rapid now has 8 wins and 1 loss in the competition, the same record across all competitions. Hartberg is 3 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws in the competition, also the same across all competitions. Rapid’s previous league outing was a 2-0 win at LASK. Hartberg had won 4-3 at home against Lustenau in its previous match. Rapid’s other results this season include wins over Altach, Ried, Grazer AK, Sturm Graz, ATSV Wolfsberger, Tirol and LASK, with its lone loss coming against FC Red Bull Salzburg. Hartberg has beaten Lustenau, Ried and Altach, drawn with LASK and Tirol, and lost to FC Red Bull Salzburg, Sturm Graz and Austria Wien.

Rapid is next scheduled to host FC Lustenau before a visit to Austria Wien. Hartberg will host ATSV Wolfsberger before traveling to Grazer AK.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Rapid 2, Hartberg 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Hartberg with a 78 percent probability to win.