Champions League: Salzburg returns to the premier category

As in the first leg, Salzburg’s performance against the Israelis was anything but a gala performance, but this time the “cops” never put down their bread and butter against Tel Aviv guests, who were affected by the coronavirus.

Patson Daka scored the lead (16th) with a low shot, which Eden Karzev equalized (30th). Dominik Szoboszlai scored as in the first leg with a penalty after a foul on Masaya Okugawa (45 + 4), before Daka led the decision (68).

As in the previous season, Salzburg returns to the concert of the greats. The group stage draw will take place on Thursday (5pm) in Geneva, with Salzburg drawn in the third pot. For Maccabi Tel Aviv the Europa League continues, in which WAC and Rapid also play. LASK could round out a national quartet in the European Cup group stage on Thursday (9pm, live on ORF1) with a win against Sporting Lisbon.

Focus on the number “eleven” beforehand

The number “eleven” was the center of attention in the run-up to the match at the empty stadium in Wals-Siezenheim. All eleven attempts by Salzburg to qualify for the premier class failed: the year before, the “Bulls” received a fixed ticket as champions. Meanwhile, Maccabi had to fake eleven players for positive coronavirus tests.

Compared to the first leg, in which Salzburg won 2-1 in high temperatures in Tel Aviv and thus entered a home game in the CL play-off for the first time, coach Jesse Marsch changed the alignment in three positions. Albert Vallci, Mohamed Camara and Sekou Koita started, only Antoine Bernede had to do without due to injury. Maccabi coach Giorgos Donis changed the team by two positions, this time also Etey Shechter, who eliminated Tel Aviv Salzburg in 2010 with Hapoel.

Salzburg takes the lead

“We will put pressure on the opponent from the start,” promised Marsch, who was not interested in the qualifying curse, before the game. There was no real pressure phase at first, but Maccabi again left control of Salzburg, retired with two chains of five and waited for a counterattack. After a slightly nervous start, the game in Salzburg developed, which until then only had a shot from Enock Mwepu after a counterattack (3rd).

The combinations became more fluid towards the 16th, but initially the last pass failed. Maccabi had his feet in the truest sense of the word on Salzburg’s lead: after taking the ball from Sekou Koita near the penalty area, the forward stumbled and the ball went into the middle through Maor Kandil, where Daka finished off with a low shot. Goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum was only able to direct the game team to the left corner (16.).

The situation of the guests had changed shortly after 0: 1, because the Israelis still needed two goals. Initially the hosts were much closer to 2-0: Mwepu’s header five minutes after a Szoboszlai corner kick went over the goal to the chagrin of the 20 Salzburg delegation at the stadium (20 °).

Maccabi punishes negligence

In the minutes that followed, Salzburg continued to dominate the action, but more and more errors were leaking. As in the first leg, the favorite became more careless, not only bad sloppy passes, like that of Maximilian Wöber, which should not have consequences for Shechters offside. Marsch had removed his jacket at eleven degrees anyway.

But not because Koita failed after a strong cross from Daka from close range and in the chest to Tenenbaum (28o), but because he suspected what was going to follow: the minimum distances allowed to the rival were too great, so Eden Karzev could from about 25 meters just wait. The first shot that goalkeeper Cican Stankovic recovered with a defensive fist, sank the second from 20 meters in the lower right corner to 2-0 (30º).

And so the big tremors began again because, as is often the case in these Salzburg CL qualifying matches, their own exploitation of chances left much to be desired. Koita missed after a nice combination and passed again from Okugawa to Tenenbaum (38th). After more oversights – Wöber commented on Vallci’s lax serve with an expletive, Szoboszlai recklessly fumbled the ball – Salzburg entered the catacombs with a guided tour.

Excitement before break

Matan Baltaxa knocked down Okugawa after a stopped shot from Szoboszlai, referee Felix Brych from Germany decided after the minimum but illegal touch on the penalty (45 °). That upset Maccabi coach Donis, who not only saw the yellow card, but a little later also the yellow-red card due to severe criticism. Donis left with applause, his own. After approval from the video assistant referee, it was four minutes before Szoboszlai kept his nerve and hit the left corner (45 ° + 4).

After the break, the picture naturally changed. Because now Maccabi needed two goals to be promoted to the elite league. Red Star Belgrade did it two years ago when they eliminated Salzburg with two goals in 77 seconds. Maccabi also put pressure on the hosts in the early stages of the first half, but as in the first leg, there was simply a lack of quality in the last third. The eleven Covid cases also include four of the team’s most expensive players.

Daka decides the game

However, unconsciously, the curse of the rating also played a role in Salzburg’s mind, because the image of himself was not as pronounced as could already be seen here. In the end, they took the pressure off, because the first significant opportunity was seized after the break. After a Vallci cross from the right, Maccabi completely forgot about Daka, who struck with his head – Tenenbaum was back, but to no avail (68th).

It was the decision, because Salzburg stayed focused until the end and did not allow Maccabi to get close. Up front, the “Joker” Noah Okafor forgave miserably alone in front of Tenenbaum (87th), but did not change the fact: Salzburg had finally broken the curse of qualifying, cheers echoed in the empty stadium.

UEFA Champions League, play-off second leg

Wednesday:

FC Salzburg – Maccabi Tel Aviv 3: 1 (2: 1)

Wals-Siezenheim, SR Brych (GER)

Sequence of objectives:
1: 0 Daka (16.)
1: 1 Karzev (30.)
Room 2: 1 (45 + 4 / Elfmeter)
3: 1 Daka (68.)

Salzburg: Stankovic – Vallci, Ramalho, Wöber, Ulmer – Mwepu, Camara (74./Junuzovic) – Dhaka, Szoboszlai, Okugawa (82./Okafor) – Koita (66./Berisha)

Maccabi: Tenenbaum – Kandil (74./Glazer), Yeini, Tibi, Baltaxa, Bitton (65./Hozez) – Biton, Karzev, Golasa, Almog (75./Hanzis) – Schechter

Yellow-red card: Maccabi Donis coach (45 ° + 3 / criticism)

Yellow cards: Camara, Ramalho, Okafor or Karzev, Baltaxa

First leg: 2: 1 – Salzburg with a total score of 5: 2 in the CL group stage, Maccabi advance to the Europa League group stage