Salzburg moves into the Champions League dust-dry
Austria’s series champions Salzburg prevailed in the play-off duel against the Danish title holder Bröndby and made it into the group stage of the Champions League for the third time in a row.
Salzburg’s jubilation over entry into the Champions League.
FC Red Bull Salzburg via Getty Images
Red Bull Salzburg passed the Bröndby school leaving examination with flying colors and entered the Champions League for the third time in a row. Austria’s series champion prevailed against the Danish champion 2-1 (2-0) on Wednesday. After early goals by Benjamin Sesko (4th) and Brenden Aaronson (10th), Bröndby only managed the connection goal (62nd) through Andreas Maxsö. Salzburg had already won the play-off first leg 2-1.
After eleven unsuccessful attempts, the Mozartstadters survived the mills of Champions League qualification for the second time after 2020 against Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 2019 they were champions directly qualified for the premier class. Now the eyes are directed towards Istanbul, where the group stage draw will take place on Thursday evening (6 p.m.).
The reception in the Copenhagen suburbs had not been a warm one. The day before the game, Salzburg was accompanied by hate posters on their way to the stadium. Fireworks were set off in front of their team hotel that night. “That was to be expected, I still know the Brondby fans too well,” said coach Matthias Jaissle, who worked as an assistant at the traditional Danish club from 2017 to 2019 ServusTV. “That wasn’t an act that somehow affects us today.”
Salzburg with a furious start against Brondby
In fact, his young team was not impressed in any way by the charged atmosphere in the Brondby Stadium, which quickly filled with 22,000 spectators. After a first warning shot from Brondby striker Simon Hedlund, Mohamed Camara served Sesko from the half-field. The 18-year-old Slovene took the ball with him in his chest and scored well – the most important goal of his young career.
As in the first leg, the guests led 1-0 in the fourth minute, but that wasn’t enough: A bad pass by Mads Hermansen enabled Salzburg to make it 2-0 in the first ten minutes. The Brondby goalkeeper played the ball in Sesko’s legs. The teenager stayed calm, used Aaronson and this scored as in the first leg. In Salzburg, the 20-year-old American was even involved in both Red Bull goals after being substituted on. This time, as expected, he was preferred to Nicolas Capaldo in the starting lineup.
Brondby had all six players who had been missing in the first leg due to corona infections back. With Tobias Börkeeiet, Mathias Greve and ex-Salzburg Josip Radosevic, three of them were in the starting line-up. Denmark’s champions, only ninth in the league after six rounds without a win, made the game balanced after Salzburg’s lightning start. With a Greve header, Maximilian Wöber saved just before the line (13th).
On the other hand, Karim Adeyemi missed the top chance to make it 3-0. The 19-year-old German, with seven goals in seven competitive games of the season so far, failed to get the ball past Brondby captain Maxsö from close range after another Hermansen mistake (44th). When Nicolas Seiwald graduated, Hermansen was on the job (45th + 1).
Brondby comes up, but Salzburg stays cool
The Salzburg team did not slacken even after changing sides. After a set piece, Brondby drew hope once again: Maxsö also scored with a head after a free-kick cross and header work by Kevin Tshiembe. Salzburg conceded at least one goal in the 22nd European Cup game in a row. A deflected shot from captain Andreas Ulmer, who was playing his 500th competitive game for the Bulls, went over the gate (63rd).
Salzburg regained control of the game, the Dane Rasmus Kristensen shot against his compatriots in the finish just past the far corner (89th). His team drove the 13th competitive game win in a row across seasons, the eighth this season. Brondby, on the other hand, is still without a win after eight games this season. The Danes still have to wait for their second CL participation after 1998. For Salzburg it is the fourth fourth – an Austrian record. The predecessor club SV Austria Salzburg was already represented in the premier class in 1994.