Bundesliga in the ticker

Salzburg vs. Klagenfurt – LIVE from 5pm

(Bild: GEPA)

Matchday six in the domestic Bundesliga: Red Bull Salzburg host Austria Klagenfurt. We report live - see ticker below. 

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Red Bull Salzburg cannot afford a second stumble in a row. Especially not on Saturday (17:00) at home against Austria Klagenfurt, in the dress rehearsal for the Champions League opener at Sparta Prague. However, Pepijn Lijnders was able to take some positives from the 3-2 defeat against Rapid before the international break. "You learn more from defeats than from three or four wins," emphasized the Bulls coach.

(Bild: GEPA)

Lijnders' desired reaction on the turf in Wals-Siezenheim, which was resurfaced during the league break, is clear. Aggressiveness and strong tackling should once again define his team's performance. "98 percent is not enough, it's always the last two percent that make the difference," said Lijnders. In any case, the start to the season was "insanely intense".

He showed respect for the Carinthians, who picked up seven points from their first five games, their second-best start in the Bundesliga. "Big praise for Klagenfurt. They've brought in a lot of new players and changed their system to a clear 5-3-2. I like the fact that they play fearlessly and also attack and press against us. You can tell that they really want to win."

They certainly didn't have an easy time against Peter Pacult's team last season. In the final game of the season, the league leaders potentially squandered their chance of becoming champions with a 3:4 win at the Wörthersee - after leading 2:0. Striker Karim Konate scored the first two goals, returning to the squad on Saturday after a knee injury and missing seven competitive matches.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"What a striker. A dribbler, a sharpshooter, someone who can press. Some knock on the door, some break it down. That's the kind of player Karim is," enthused Lijnders about the top scorer in 2023/24. Meanwhile, Liverpool's summer signings Stefan Bajcetic (loan) and Bobby Clark are about to make their Red Bull debuts. Bajcetic in particular, the more defensive of the two midfielders, is "in rhythm" according to Lijnders. But Clark, who was worth a reported 12 million euros to Salzburg, is also ready in principle after recovering from injury.

Klagenfurt have nothing to lose away from home. Sixth in the table, they are only two points behind Salzburg, who have one game less to play. "We're now facing a very good team in Salzburg, who I believe are the number one contenders for the championship again this year. It will be a big challenge for us, but we are ready to take it on," said midfield creator Christopher Cvetko.

The team recently celebrated two wins in a row, albeit against "little ones" with WSG and Blau-Weiß Linz. A compact defence and diligence against the ball alone will not be enough against the big favourites, emphasized Cvetko. "We also have to be clever and courageous going forward. If we can do that, then we can take something with us and that's our goal."

There was good news for coach Peter Pacult on the personnel front. Captain and defensive boss Thorsten Mahrer is available again after recovering from a muscle injury.