Lost 2:3, but:
LIVE from 20:30: GAK vs Red Bull Salzburg
Dethroned champions Red Bull Salzburg have opened the new Bundesliga season in style! In the first league game under coach Pepijn Lijnders, the Bulls celebrated a 3:2 victory on Friday at GAK, who were playing with a lot of promotion euphoria. After trailing 0:2 early on, they came back to 2:2 in a fast-paced game, but ultimately had to concede to Salzburg in their first top flight game in 17 years.
An own goal from Benjamin Rosenberger (4th) and Dorgeles Nene (6th) gave Salzburg a 2-0 lead, Michael Lang (10th) and Romeo Vucic (18th) equalized just as quickly thanks to two perfect counter-attacks. A penalty from Karim Konate (45.+2) shortly before the break finally brought the decision and a deserved win for the visitors. It also gave them a boost for the Champions League qualifying first leg against Twente Enschede (3rd round) on Tuesday (20:45).
Shortly after the departures of regular players Strahinja Pavlovic and Luka Sucic, Lijnders ordered the same personnel onto the pitch as in the 6-0 Cup win over Dornbirn. At GAK, central defender Martin Kreuzriegler, who suffered a shoulder injury in the final training session and will be out for around 4 to 6 weeks, was replaced by Lukas Graf. In attack, Romeo Vucic came on for the injured Daniel Maderner.
The game was less than four minutes old when the ball was in the GAK net in front of 9107 spectators. Benjamin Rosenberger had made an unfortunate save after a quick break by the visitors and crossed the ball into his own goal - it was not to be the 28-year-old's only lapse of the evening.
For the time being, however, there was another shock to digest. Less than two minutes later, Salzburg broke through the five-man defence with a pass to Nene, who lifted the ball over goalkeeper Jakob Meierhofer from an acute angle. Everything now pointed to a clear victory for the favorites.
However, GAK also wanted to be part of the spectacle in this historic performance. The home side celebrated out of nowhere after a beautiful combination, with Lang not a whit behind Nene in terms of feeling and precision. From the edge of the penalty area, he curled the ball into the far corner with his far post, unstoppable for goalkeeper Janis Blaswich. The Red Jackets' visor remained open, neo-captain Blaswich was challenged a little later with a shot from Dominik Frieser (14th), but then had no chance. Vucic crowned the comeback with the equalizer after a quick transition play - once again the Salzburg defence looked vulnerable.
However, it was once again the league leaders who dominated the game and came closer to scoring the fifth goal of the evening. Meierhofer had to intervene twice against Adam Daghim and Konate in a scramble (23'), before the break Nene was also dangerous from a similar position to the 1:0 (29') and Amar Dedic with a shot just wide of the far corner (39'). However, it took a Rosenberger handball in the penalty area and the subsequent penalty from Konate for Salzburg to take a 3:2 lead into the half-time break.
There was little change in the action after the break, even if it was less intense - Salzburg clearly dominated it. Nene (51') and Bundesliga debutant Daghim with a shot against the bar (57') were unlucky, however, and GAK kept the point within reach until the final whistle.
In one of the rare offensive actions, they were already celebrating the 3:3, but captain Marco Perchtold was ruled offside (73'). Substitute Petar Ratkov missed a good chance for Salzburg in the final minute (89'), while Blaswich saved narrowly from the onrushing Dominik Frieser at the other end.
The result:
GAK - Red Bull Salzburg 2:3 (2:3)
Graz, Merkur Arena, 9107 spectators, SR Weinberger
Goals: 0:1 (4./ET) Rosenberger, 0:2 (6.) Nene, 1:2 (10.) M. Lang, 2:2 (18.) Vucic, 2:3 (45.+2) Konate (hand penalty)
Yellow cards: Italiano and Gourna-Douath respectively
GAK: Meierhofer - Filipovic (73. Gantschnig), Graf, Jovicic - M. Lang, Perchtold (83. Zaizen), Satin, Rosenberger (65. Italiano) - Frieser, Vucic (72. Cheukoua), Lichtenberger (65. Dressel)
Salzburg: Blaswich - Dedic, Baidoo, Blank (79. Piatkowski), Terzic - Capaldo (65. Bidstrup), Diambou, Kjaergaard (79. Gourna-Douath) - Daghim (85. Yeo), Konate, Nene (Ratkov 65.)
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