Despite major personnel concerns and poor performances in recent weeks, the Bulls celebrated a deserved 3-1 (1-0) win at Feyenoord Rotterdam on Wednesday and could have initiated a turnaround. Salzburg’s first CL goals of the season were scored by Karim Konate (45th + 2, 58th) and Daouda Guindo (86th), Konate even missed a triple from the penalty spot (85th).
Feyenoord’s goal by Anis Moussa (81st) came too late, Salzburg climbed to 30th place in the table at half-time with three points. This means that the hoped-for promotion to the play-off of the best 24 is at least theoretically still possible. However, given the opponents Bayer Leverkusen (November 26th/away), Paris Saint-Germain (December 10th/home), Real Madrid (January 22nd, 2025/a) and finally Atletico Madrid (January 29th/h), you are literally facing one gigantic challenge in the sense of the word.
Salzburg’s performance went against all expectations. Apart from the lack of results, the guests’ starting position was extremely bad. Lijnders had to play almost an entire team due to injuries, illnesses and the suspension of goalie Alexander Schlager, but once again rolled the dice well. Among other things, Nicolas Capaldo was assigned to the left-back position, while a completely new three-man chain of Bobby Clark, Lucas Gourna-Douath and Mamady Diambou worked in midfield.
Trauner initiated Feyenoord’s first chance
But the “Notelf” quickly forgot this attribute. Feyenoord started much better and had two good moments. First, defensive center Trauner initiated a chance from striker Ibrahim Osman with one of his precise passes (3rd), a little later Janis Blaswich, replacing the suspended Alexander Schlager, was there against Paixao (8th). But Salzburg quickly found its way into the game and subsequently kept it completely open.
The guests’ pressing and counter-pressing worked much better than in previous weeks, and the Dutch were hardly able to make an impact. And even if nothing really dangerous resulted from the numerous ball wins, they still managed to take the deserved lead shortly before the break. Of course, it took a miserable ejection from Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther. Oscar Gloukh finally fed Konate with a cross, who, completely alone, headed in from short distance.
Image: GEPA pictures/ Pro Shots/ Mischa Keemink
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Image: GEPA pictures/ Pro Shots/ Mischa Keemink
As expected, the Dutch opened the second half dynamically, Peixao was just a few centimeters short of the equalizer (47′). But Salzburg remained aggressive and was immediately back in the game. Trauner blocked another top chance from Gloukh (52nd), but six minutes later Konate silenced the 50,000-capacity stadium: After a corner and header from Kamil Piatkowski, the ball fell at Konate’s feet and the Ivorian shot in quickly.
Feyenoord then tried to score again and also had their chances. Like Trauner (73rd), Bart Nieuwkoop (68th) and Chris-Kevin Nadje (71st) also remained unlucky for the time being. Then the latter initiated a wild final phase with a red foul on Gourna-Douath. First Moussa netted to make it 1-2, a little later Konate hit the bar from the spot after David Hanckos’ penalty foul on Capaldo (85′). Shortly afterwards, Guindo made the decision with a beautiful shot under the crossbar.
**Interview with Football Analyst John Smith on RB Salzburg’s Victory Over Feyenoord Rotterdam**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us, John. RB Salzburg secured a 3-1 victory over Feyenoord Rotterdam despite their recent struggles. What’s your take on their performance?
**John Smith:** It was a surprising yet impressive performance from Salzburg. Given their recent form and the challenges with personnel—especially missing key players like their goalkeeper—they managed to adapt well. The tactical adjustments by their coach really paid off.
**Interviewer:** Indeed. Karim Konaté scored two goals and was involved in most of the attacking plays. How crucial was he in this match?
**John Smith:** Konaté’s contribution was vital, not just for scoring but also for his overall presence on the field. His first goal just before halftime shifted the momentum in Salzburg’s favor. It’s also noteworthy that he had to shake off a missed penalty later in the match, which shows his resilience and ability to focus on the task at hand.
**Interviewer:** With this win, Salzburg climbed to 30th place in the standings. What does this mean for their chances of advancing in the Champions League?
**John Smith:** Climbing to 30th is a positive sign, but they face an uphill battle. Their remaining fixtures against teams like Bayer Leverkusen, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid are daunting. If they can build on this win and gain some momentum, there’s a theoretical chance, but they’ll need to perform consistently at a high level.
**Interviewer:** Feyenoord started the match strong but faded as the game went on. What do you think went wrong for them?
**John Smith:** Feyenoord had promising moments early on, but they couldn’t capitalize on those opportunities. Once Salzburg found their rhythm, Feyenoord struggled to maintain their intensity and control in midfield, which allowed Salzburg to dictate the pace of the game. Their defense also seemed to collapse under pressure, especially leading up to Konaté’s first goal.
**Interviewer:** What should we expect next from Salzburg following this performance?
**John Smith:** If they can take confidence from this win, we might see them perform better in their upcoming matches. Adaptability has been key—they’ve shown they can shuffle the lineup and still put in a solid performance. It’ll be interesting to see how well they can sustain this energy against tougher opponents.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, John, for your insights on RB Salzburg’s performance.
**John Smith:** My pleasure! It’s always an exciting time in the Champions League, and I look forward to seeing how this unfolds.
