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Salzburg in the Champions League: Mozart, Henkel pot and top talent

2019-09-18T08:19:38.544Z


Six goals, three points, great euphoria: FC Salzburg experienced a triumphant evening on their debut in the Champions League. Because the new youngsters of the club were not controllable.



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In the extra time of this game they sang on the north tribune the oldest of all Fankurven evergreens. "Oh, how is that nice, something like that has not been seen for a long time." Which was not quite right. Because the fans had never seen such a thing here: a victory of FC Salzburg in the Champions League. It was the club's first ever premier game, and it was spectacular: 6-2 (5-1) against KRC Genk, half a dozen goals in the debut.

Even before kick-off, there was great euphoria, or as Salzburg star and midfield strategist Zlatko Junuzovic put it, "Emotional madness." Finally a sold-out stadium, a European evening with almost 30,000 spectators.

Yorick Jansens / BELGA / dpa

Salzburg is happy about a 6-2 against Genk

Unlike in the drab league everyday life, in which they dominate the adversaries at will, after seven games with 21 points and 34: 6 goals are far ahead - but hardly interested. In the past five seasons in the Austrian league, Salzburg's average attendance has always been below 10,000 fans. According to Transfermarkt.de a home game of the club was sold out for the last time in the season 2007/2008.

Shortly before 9 pm, when the long-awaited and local fans only heard from radio and television, the Champions League anthem, some supporters held a self-made Henkelpott in the air, in the fan block of Nordkurve they unrolled a poster with an oversized Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart portrait.

Erling Haland is Salzburg's new hope

What had Salzburg been looking forward to this day! The FC Red Bull had failed since the acquisition of the predecessor club SV Austria Salzburg 2005 by the beverage manufacturer empire of Dietrich Mateschitz but with incredible consistency in the qualification. Eleven times in a row, the club flew out against smaller football clubs such as Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv, once was the opponent HNK Rijeka from Croatia, perhaps the most embarrassing qualifying was against F91 Dudelange from Luxembourg in the 2012/2013 season.

But since Tuesday evening no thought is wasted.

Of course, Salzburg could have wished for the start no grateful opponent. The Belgian champions from Genk and currently Tabellenneunte revealed in about the playful level as usual in the domestic ÖFB league the teams from Hartberg, Altach and St. Pölten.

But it impressed how Salzburg played into a frenzy, with speed and dynamism, with wit and irrepressible will. And of course with Erling Haland. The 19-year-old Norwegian was the outstanding man of the evening with his three goals. A giant with 1.91 meters, beefy, powerful, but equipped with the finest technology and ball treatment. A top talent that can stand out now, because every year Salzburg sells its best players for a lot of money, as did Sadio Mané or Naby Keita, who attracted attention in Salzburg - and are now superstars in Liverpool, at Salzburg's next Championships. League opponents on 2 October (21 clock, live ticker SPIEGEL ONLINE, TV: Sky and Dazn).

US coach Jesse Marsch has taken on a heavy legacy

Another interesting player is Dominik Szoboszlai, an 18-year-old Hungarian, who scored the 5: 1 just before half-time. In the midfield as a game designer of the 20-year-old Antoine Bernede, already scrapped at Paris St. Germain, and on the sidelines coach Jesse Marsch. The American from Wisconsin worked in the past season as co-coach of Ralf Rangnick in Leipzig, in the summer he was then succeeded by Marco Rose, who moved to Mönchengladbach.

Not an easy task for the march: Many players have recently left Salzburg in the direction of the German Bundesliga, but now they have to form a new team - and that looks pretty good.

Andreas Schaad / Bongarts / Getty Images

Jesse Marsch and Hee-chan Hwang (last loaner at HSV) after the win against Genk

The 45-year-old, the first US coach in the Champions League, one who gives the team with classic American optimism self-confidence and drives them constantly forward. Characteristic of the last minutes of stoppage time, as all Salzburg field players in the Belgian half with all power on the seventh goal urged - as if it was still game crucial. To Erling Haland, Marsch said, "He's a good boy, a good person, everyone in the team loves him."

However, the march did not become mischievous afterwards. The coach was already thinking about the next and then really heavy opponents. "We have to play better to beat Liverpool and Napoli," he said, adding: "With this team, we have great potential in the group."

In Salzburg, they are already dreaming of hearing the royal class anthem beyond the group stage - and unrolling their Mozart until spring. Before that on Sunday at the Linz Gugl against the LASK. Then on Wednesday to Rapid to Wien-Hütteldorf. Without the gray everyday life it is not synonymous for Salzburg.

RB Salzburg - KRC Genk 6: 2 (5: 1)
1: 0 Haland (2nd)
2: 0 Haland (34.)
3: 0 Hwang (36.)
3: 1 Lucumi (40.)
4: 1 Haland (45th)
5: 1 Szoboszlai (45. + 3)
5: 2 Samatta (52.)
6: 2 Ulmer (66.)
Salzburg: Stankovic - Kristensen (83rd Farkas), Andre Ramalho, Wöber, Ulmer - Bernede, Junuzovic - Minamino, Szoboszlai (62nd Okugawa) - Haaland (72nd Daka), Hwang
Genk: Coucke - Maehle, Dewaest, Lucumi, Uron - Mountains, Heynen (85th Onuachu) - Hrosovsky - Ndongala (72nd Hagi), Samatta, Ito (46th Bongonda). - Coach: Mazzu
Referee: Zwayer (Germany)
Yellow cards: Kristensen, Bernede, Szoboszlai - Bongonda, Samatta
Spectators: 29,520

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2019-09-18

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