A goal from Arthur Cabral in stoppage time (92′) was decisive; a 1:2 would have been enough for Austria’s series champions to take third place and move to the Europa League.
After Benfica’s lead through Angel Di Maria (32nd) and Rafa Silva (45th + 1), hope had arisen thanks to Luka Sucic (57th), before Cabral Salzburg finished fourth in Group D and his team, which won the first leg in September Lisbon had lost 0-2, shot into the EL intermediate round. Salzburg suffered its first European Cup exit before the winter break since 2016.
Because Andreas Ulmer was not fully fit on the bench and Aleksa Terzic was missing due to his adductor injury, Salzburg coach Gerhard Struber ordered his substitute captain Amar Dedic to the left defensive side in front of 27,134 spectators. In addition to Kamil Piatkowski and Strahinja Pavlovic, a third central defender, Samson Baidoo, played in the back four on the right. The storm also looked interesting: Karim Konate and Roko Simic were only substitutes, Petar Ratkov and Dorgeles Nene were supposed to take care of it.
Salzburg tried to press intensively in the rain, but in the first phase of pressure from the guests they were pushed far into their own half. Silva missed the big chance in this phase, the offensive man served by Casper Tengstedt escaped the defense and put the ball wide from eleven meters (13th). One of the home team’s rare liberating actions culminated in an attempted side kick by Nene, but the 20-year-old only slightly shaved the ball following a sensitive chip from Oscar Gloukh (22nd).
Photo gallery: 1:3 once morest Benfica – Salzburg’s European Cup season is over
1:3 once morest Benfica – Salzburg’s European Cup season is over (Photo: GEPA pictures/ Gintare Karpaviciute (GEPA pictures)) Bild 1/34
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Benfica might no longer combine so easily into the opponent’s penalty area, the game was at eye level. It was just at this point that the guest tour ended. After Di Maria’s shot towards the far corner narrowly failed to find a taker (31′), the Argentinian world champion laid the “egg” for Salzburg. His corner sailed past everyone in Salzburg and into the goal, goalie Alexander Schlager’s hand went up a touch too late.
Salzburg countered with a double chance from Ratkov, whose shot was first blocked and then captured by goalie Anatolij Trubin (40th). A little later, Nene fired a long shot to Trubin that was too central (44′). However, no really dangerous combinations were created. Benfica, on the other hand, made a fool of themselves at the worst possible time. After an unnecessary loss of the ball in the forward movement, the ball passed two stations to Silva, who sent the guests into spring with a low shot into the far corner.
Shortly following the break, substitute Petar Musa almost made it 3-0, but was successfully disrupted by Baidoo in the five-pointer (48′). Then a Silva volley from a few meters went too centrally to Schlager (52nd), the guests pushed for the preliminary decision. For free. Salzburg threw the recovered Sekou Koita and Fernando into the attack for the hapless Ratkov and Nene (55th), shortly followingwards the score was 1-2 thanks to a deflected Sucic shot. Salzburg now felt the wind at its back and Trubin had to parry once morest Fernando (65′).
The last 20 minutes belonged to Benfica once more, who ran desperately. Di Maria’s shot bounced back off the outside bar (69′), a dropkick from Silva went over the goal (75′), Schlager saved in a one-on-one once morest Musa (76′). It was also Musa who failed to put the ball in the goal following a deflected Di Maria cross (81′).
In the finish, an attempt from Joao Neves whizzed just past the top corner (84′), but Salzburg continued to defend the 1-2 with commitment and might have even made it 2-2 following a counterattack with a Fernando shot (89′). Shortly before the end, Schlager shone with a top reaction to a Stangl pass from Fredrik Aursnes (90th), but a little later he was beaten following another Aursnes cross pass. Cabral, who had been substituted shortly before, shot in with his heel.
