FC Red Bull Salzburg made it five wins out of five to qualify in style from Europa League Group G last night with another stunning victory over visitors Lazio at the Red Bull Arena.
With some fans admitting that their dreams had been invaded by fears that top marksman Marc Janko, an injury doubt after missing the Rapid Vienna clash last weekend, would be absent for the Lazio match, the striker did start – but it was two of his team-mates that stole the show in front of a record crowd of 26,270.
Janko was certainly involved, having a number of first-half chances after the Italian side had bossed the opening stages. Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera could have been red-carded for what looked like violent conduct towards Janko – the Rome club’s stopper escaped with a caution, much to the displeasure of watching director of Red Bull soccer Dietmar Beiersdorfer.
After a goalless first half, the second began fractiously, but seven minutes in, Christoph Leitgeb floated a perfect free kick into the Lazio area, and Rabiu Afolabi (pictured, above) took advantage to nod the home side 1-0 in front.
Parity came just five minutes later as Pasquale Foggia picked up a Mauro Zárate shot parried by Red Bulls ’keeper Eddie Gustafsson and bundled the home to equalise. It was only the second time the Swede has been beaten in the Salzburg net in the five Group G matches, and the first in over 350 minutes of European football.
An increasingly open game saw Janko and Dusan Svento have chances saved and the visitors shoot just wide from Zárate.
'We gelled into a team relatively quickly – in tune with one another and with a good team spirit both on and off the pitch' – Huub Stevens
But the Red Bulls, who only needed a point to qualify, kept trying for the victory and soon had the fans on their feet again as Leitgeb once more provided the pass for Somen Tchoyi – surely already a candidate for the Salzburg club’s player of the season – to beat the last defender in style and dink the ball home for the decisive winner with 12 minutes remaining.
Even the most ardent dreamers could hardly have imagined that the Red Bulls would qualify for the last 32 with a game to spare against two big names in the competition in Lazio and their final opponents in Group G in two weeks’ time, Villareal. Memories of their tough pre-qualification against Ireland’s Bohemians and Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia throw into sharp relief just how the team have progressed.
“We gelled into a team relatively quickly – in tune with one another and with a good team spirit both on and off the pitch,” Red Bulls coach Huub Stevens commented.
Only Salzburg have five wins from five in the Europa League so far – though Shakhtar Donetsk can equal the feat with a Group J win over Club Brugge tonight. Villareal overcame pointless Levski at the Sofia club’s Georgi Asparuhov home to stay on course for the Group G runners-up spot with a 2-0 win.
The draw for the knockout phase, in which some huge names are likely to figure, takes place after the final game on December 17.
Watch highlights of last night’s match action at uefa.com.
P W D L GD Pts
Red Bull Salzburg 5 5 0 0 +6 15
Villareal 5 3 0 2 +3 9
Lazio 5 2 0 3 0 6
Levski Sofia 5 0 0 5 -9 0
Comments
Add a comment