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Mergim Berisha brought in Salzburg after a mistake by goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli deservedly 1-0 (17th), but a strong first half from Salzburg suffered a draw shortly before the end: Gerard Moreno completed the hosts’ only successful play to equalize ( 40.). After the break, however, the Spaniards barely allowed anything and won with a penalty from Moreno (89.)
For the club with the most appearances in this competition (81) it is already the fifth promotion to the round of 16, Salzburg still have to wait for their fourth appearance in the round of 16 after 2014, 2018 and 2019. In 2015 they also failed because of Villarreal , and in 2020 he also passed the Champions League.
Ramalho returns to the center of defense
Compared to Salzburg’s home defeat a week ago, both coaches had changed their starting eleven to two positions each. Villarreal coach Unay Emery relied heavily on the team that acted intelligently and successfully in the first game. On this occasion, guest coach Jesse Marsch could rely on his central defender Andre Ramalho, who had been suspended in the first leg, while Antoine Bernede was preferred to Luka Sucic in midfield.
It was the same Salzburg line-up as in last Sunday’s convincing 4-2 win over Rapid. With a tailwind on the road to Villarreal, the tables in Spain should turn after the disappointing first leg, so Marsch demanded a “good start and aggressiveness”, more courage from his team and, last but not least , “our best performance”.
At the Ceramics Stadium, which actually has ceramic facades, the Austrians, as desired, found the game well and turned up more toxic and consistent than a week ago and should soon be rewarded.
Berisha puts Salzburg in the lead
Berisha, who had four sensational assists against Rapid on Sunday (three of them for Patson Daka), knocked out for the first time in the sixth minute. His graduation after winning the ball in Daka was blocked. Salzburg kept the Spanish defense busy, but this time they could only break free at the beginning as in the first leg with a good passing game. Because the hosts finally got into trouble: goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli missed a cross pass to Pau Torres Daka, who conquered the leather and brought out Berisha. The forward had no problems in five and went ahead (17th).
Salzburg held on for a good first half hour: Daka’s shot missed the goal (18th), the attacker missed the area three minutes later after Enock Mwepu had attacked him as a result of a successful attack (21st). The latter then stopped Rulli with a low shot from far (22nd), and a minute later Berisha reached a conclusion (23rd). After 25 minutes, Salzburg had posted a solid plus of 6-0 shots on goal.
Villarreal was initially unavailable offensively, because they managed more due to the advantage. A dangerous backward blind pass from Mwepu to goalkeeper Cican Stankovic, who caught the ball in time, could qualify as the first dangerous action in the Salzburg penalty area (29). The Villarreal bank, which had fought a brief skirmish with marching, was more aggressive. As the game progressed, the “yellow submarine” appeared after all, Manu Trigueros gave Villarreal the first shot after a corner (35th).
Balance shortly before break
Five minutes later, the Spaniards showed why they are sixth in the First Division despite their mediocre results: the veteran Trigueros skillfully left two Salzburgers on the center line and passed the ball to Alcácer, who maintained control and alluded to Moreno in the penalty area. . His hook again sent two Salzburgs – Stankovic collided with Junuzovic – out of the game and the striker hit Ramalho and Kristensen (40th).
Salzburg’s strong 45 minutes were marred by the only successful action from Villarreals. A possible extension was made, Salzburg needed at least two more hits to move up. After the break, Maximilian Wöber returned after a muscle injury, the defender should avoid more goals, but also stimulate the preparation of the game.
Villarreal brings the promotion home
But after Emery’s changes, Villarreal had better the game under control, only a corner kick caused excitement in the local penalty area. Etienne Capoue received the ball after the center, the referee Felix Zwayer decided with the insurance called Video Assistant Re Referee (VAR) from penalty (58.). The German reversed his decision after seeing in the images that the ball jumped off Capoue’s foot and that there was no punishable handball. It didn’t help that Junuzovic audibly complained that it was “a very clear hand.”
But Salzburg couldn’t do much against the accomplished Spaniards in the second half, the force dwindling minute by minute. Marsch brought a breath of fresh air with Karim Adeyemi and Luka Sucic, but after the former passed, the latter missed with Salzburg’s best chance in the second half (78). After a backward pass from Junuzovic to Stankovic, the goalkeeper against Moreno came too late, the foul exploded the penalty (89th). The effort was there until the final whistle, but as in the previous year, when they were beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt (1: 4 or 2: 2), the opportunity for promotion was lost in the first leg: you woke up too late.
UEFA Europa League, round of 32, second leg
Thursday:
Villarreal – Salzburg 2: 1 (1: 1)
Sequence of objectives:
0: 1 Berisha (17.)
1: 1 Moreno (40.)
2: 1 Moreno (89./Elfmeter)
Estadio de la Ceramica, no spectators allowed (due to the coronavirus pandemic), SR Zwayer / GER
Villarreal: Rulli – Jaume Costa (82./Foyth), Albiol, Pau Torres, Estupinan – Trigueros, Capoue, Parejo (90./Baena), Pedraza (66./Moi Gomez) – Gerard Moreno (90./Fer Nino), Alcacer (66./Chukwueze)
Salzburg: Stankovic – Kristensen (92./Solet), Ramalho, Vallci (46./Wöber), Ulmer – Mwepu, Bernede (60./Adeyemi), Junuzovic, Aaronson (60./Sucic) – Daka (92./Svoboda), Berisha
Yellow cards: Jaume Costa or Vallci, Mwepu, Daka, Marsch (coach), Adeyemi
First leg: 2-0 – Villarreal with a total score of 4-1 in the round of 16
