Austria’s weakened runner-up had to admit defeat to Sparta Prague on Wednesday after a poor performance at the Letna Stadium with a score of 0:3. Kaan Kairinen (2nd), the former Mattersburg player Victor Olatunji (42nd) and Qazim Laci (58th) punished the defensively very vulnerable Salzburg team for their own mistakes, which resulted in them losing their second competitive match in a row.
The last time this happened in the league was on September 1st, when Rapid lost 2:3. Due to a weather-related cancellation, coach Pepijn Lijnders’ team has not played a competitive game since then. The Dutchman is the first Salzburg coach to lose his debut in the “premier class”. The next chance to do better comes on October 1st in Wals-Siezenheim against top French club Stade Brest. Before that, they face WSG Tirol away (Sunday) and Vienna Austria at home (September 28th). The Czech record champions extended their unbeaten streak to 27 competitive games – 14 this season.
Four changes in the starting eleven
Table of Contents
- 1 Four changes in the starting eleven
- 2 Salzburg defensively unsettled
- 3 Changes after the break
- 4 What were the key factors that led to Salzburg’s defeat against Sparta Prague in the Champions League?
- 5 What defensive issues did Salzburg face during their match against Sparta Prague in the Champions League?
Table of Contents
Due to a number of absences, Lijnders was forced to make changes compared to the most recent appearance at Rapid. In the centre of defence, the recovered Hendry Blank replaced the not quite fit Samson Baidoo, while John Mellberg defended on the left in place of the injured Maurits Kjaergaard. A row in front of them, the two highly talented summer signings Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic made their debut in the “Bulls” jersey. The ill “endurance runner” Mads Bidstrup was sorely missed, as was Kjaergaard.
The completely new team did not get into the game at all in front of 17,612 loud spectators, missed the start and could not cope with the aggressiveness of the home team. The punishment came after less than two minutes. Lukas Haraslin was able to move towards the goal, but Janis Blaswich parried his shot right into the middle, where Kairinen tapped in with his left from around eleven meters. The German goalie almost conceded another goal two minutes later, but Haraslin’s shot narrowly missed the goal. After a quarter of an hour, Olatunji made his first dangerous appearance with a good header.
Salzburg defensively unsettled
Salzburg seemed unsettled in defence, which resulted in repeated errors of their own, and coordination problems were obvious. In attack, they lacked ideas against the Czechs’ 4-5-1 formation, which cleverly narrowed the spaces. Moussa Yeo’s equaliser was rightly disallowed for offside (17th minute). The striker from Mali also shot wide of the far post (29th minute). The most conspicuous was right-back Amar Dedic, who moved inside several times and scored dangerously once (36th minute).
Before half-time, however, Sparta increased the lead. After Mellberg lost the ball, captain Filip Panak simply hit the ball forward while attempting to clear it, but it was ideal for Olatunji, who scored in the far corner from a free position. Blaswich was not to blame for the goal this time and was powerless. Shortly before half-time, Clark put a free kick over the bar from a good position, which was in keeping with the rather disappointing debut appearance of the ex-Liverpool player.
Changes after the break
At half-time, Lijnders took Mellberg off the field and Mamady Diambou came on for him, but he played on the right, while Dedic moved to the left. From the 57th minute, there were also many changes in attack, Karim Konate made his comeback and Adam Daghim also had a chance. The game was over for Yeo and Dorgeles Nene. However, hopes of turning things around with the double substitution were almost immediately dashed. After a Piatkowski mistake, Olatunji served midfielder Laci, who left his opponent, including Blaswich, running into empty space and finished into the empty net.
After that, the defeat could have been even greater, for example if Ermal Krasniqi had had a chance (78th minute). Salzburg continued to lack a lot at both ends of the pitch – in contrast to the successful qualifying appearances against Twente Enschede and Dynamo Kiev. So right from the start there was a bitter setback in the fight for a place in the round of 16, into which the top eight teams of the 36 clubs are guaranteed to advance and which the teams in positions 9 to 24 still have a chance of reaching via the play-off. The Prague team, coached by Lars Friis, are represented in the Champions League for the first time in almost 19 years and are considered to be an easier opponent compared to the seven other competitors.
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What were the key factors that led to Salzburg’s defeat against Sparta Prague in the Champions League?
Salzburg Suffers Defeat Against Sparta Prague: A Disappointing Performance in the Champions League
Austria’s top football club, Salzburg, suffered a disappointing 0:3 defeat against Sparta Prague on Wednesday at the Letna Stadium in the Champions League group stage. This marks their second consecutive competitive match loss, a trend that has not been seen since September 1st when Rapid lost 2:3.
The defeat was a result of a poor performance by Salzburg, who struggled defensively and were punished for their mistakes by Sparta Prague. Kaan Kairinen (2nd), Victor Olatunji (42nd), and Qazim Laci (58th) scored for the Czech team, taking advantage of Salzburg’s vulnerabilities.
This was a tough start for coach Pepijn Lijnders, who is the first Salzburg coach to lose his debut in the Champions League. The team will have to regroup and prepare for their next matches, starting with an away game against WSG Tirol on Sunday, followed by a home match against Vienna Austria on September 28th, and a crucial match against top French club Stade Brest on October 1st.
Changes in the Starting Lineup
Due to injuries and absences, Lijnders was forced to make four changes to the starting eleven compared to their previous match against Rapid. Hendry Blank replaced Samson Baidoo in the center of defense, while John Mellberg took over on the left in place of the injured Maurits Kjaergaard. The team’s new signings, Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic, made their debuts in the starting lineup.
However, the team struggled to get into the game, and their poor start was punished early on by Sparta Prague. Lukas Haraslin’s shot was parried by Janis Blaswich, and
What defensive issues did Salzburg face during their match against Sparta Prague in the Champions League?
Austria’s Salzburg Suffers Crushing Defeat to Sparta Prague in Champions League
Austria’s Salzburg faced a disappointing 0-3 loss to Sparta Prague on Wednesday, marking their second consecutive competitive defeat. The team’s poor performance at the Letna Stadium was marred by defensive vulnerabilities, which were punished by Kaan Kairinen, Victor Olatunji, and Qazim Laci. This defeat marks a concerning trend for Salzburg, who have not played a competitive match since September 1st due to a weather-related cancellation.
Four Changes in the Starting Eleven
Coach Pepijn Lijnders was forced to make four changes to the starting lineup due to absences, including the recovery of Hendry Blank, who replaced the not-fully-fit Samson Baidoo in central defense. John Mellberg took the place of injured Maurits Kjaergaard on the left, while Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic made their debut in the “Bulls” jersey.
Salzburg Defensively Unsettled
The team struggled to find their footing in the game, missing the start and failing to cope with the aggressiveness of the home team. Defensively, Salzburg appeared unsettled, with repeated errors and coordination problems evident. In attack, they lacked ideas against Sparta Prague’s 4-5-1 formation, which effectively narrowed the spaces. Moussa Yeo’s equalizer was rightly disallowed for offside, and the striker from Mali also shot wide of the far post.
Changes After the Break
At half-time, Lijnders made changes to the team, replacing Mellberg with Mamady Diambou, who played on the right, while Amar Dedic moved to the left. However, these changes failed to spark a turnaround, and Sparta Prague continued to dominate the game.
What Were the Key Factors That Led to Salzburg’s Defeat Against Sparta Prague in the Champions League?
Several factors contributed to Salzburg’s disappointing defeat:
- Defensive Vulnerabilities: Salzburg’s defense was repeatedly breached, with mistakes and coordination problems leading to easy goals for Sparta Prague.
- Lack of Ideas in Attack: Salzburg struggled to create scoring opportunities, failing to find a way past Sparta Prague’s well-organized defense.
- Injuries and Absences: The loss of key players, including Maurits Kjaergaard and Mads Bidstrup, left Salzburg’s team depleted and lacking in experience.
- Poor Debut Performances: The highly touted summer signings, Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic, failed to make an impact in their debut appearances.
Salzburg will look to bounce back from this defeat when they face WSG Tirol away on Sunday and Vienna Austria at home on September 28th. However, they will need to address their defensive vulnerabilities and find a way to create scoring opportunities if they hope to compete against top teams like Stade Brest on October 1st.
