“Everything can turn in one game, but we are definitely hungry for a lot more,” emphasized defender Maximilian Wöber after the game. Match winner Karim Adeyemi was also gripped by ambition. “We still have a lot of games ahead of us, for us. If we get to the round of 16, then maybe,” said the 19-year-old German, who was named “UEFA Man of the Match” after scoring two penalty goals in front of 24,207 spectators.
His statement reflects the basic tenor of the youngest team in the competition and is also exemplified by the youngest coach. “We will persistently continue on our way to develop the boys in the best possible way,” said Matthias Jaissle, who is still undefeated in 15 competitive games. The special success against a “top team like Lille” should give his protégés further tailwind.
Salzburg beats Lille
On the second match day of the UEFA Champions League, Salzburg achieved their first victory of the season in the premier class against Lille.
In the fairly balanced Group G, Salzburg lead the table after two matchdays with four points ahead of FC Sevilla (2) and VfL Wolfsburg (2) and Lille (1). The view of this is nice, but no more. “We look at the game, we want to win it too.”
Educational experience in the early stages
The first half hour against Lille sees that the way to the last sixteen will not be a walk in the park. Salzburg didn’t get into the pressing and wasn’t consistent enough offensively to be really dangerous. “You saw in the beginning: If you hesitate a little, if you are not one hundred percent on it, then such a top team will play you away”, Jaissle outlined the 30 minutes.
However, his players fought their way into the game in a duel with the “mastiffs”, as the 33-year-old German discovered. “How they then implemented things with more courage, conviction and cheek was great. They should also take with them that it can only be done in an extreme way against such top teams. “
Salzburg overcomes penalty trauma
Once again, Adeyemi showed himself to be particularly cheeky, whose unprecedented speed obviously caused serious problems for the opponents. The German team striker took the fourth penalty against Lille in the second CL season game and equalized an all-time record set by Arjen Robben early in the season.
In Seville, Adeyemi and Luka Sucic each missed a penalty, this time Adeyemi went back to the point and hit the left corner. “I shoot a couple of penalties before every game, four or five yesterday. I knew that I would shoot in the corner, no matter what, ”emphasized the attacker.
Thomas Müller, who was 20 years old in 2009, when he succeeded.
Defensive gives hope for advancement
Of course, it was not surprising that Salzburg scored in their 33rd competitive game in a row. But she almost managed to stay without conceding a goal on the international stage for the first time since February 2019 (4-0 against Club Bruges, note). But Philipp Köhn’s mistake in Burak Yilmaz’s free kick extends the series by another game. After all, there are currently only two goals conceded after two match days, in the previous seasons there were six or five at the same time.
In addition, it was possible to gain knowledge against Die Lille that Salzburg’s defense did not allow the guests to have a top chance out of the game. “The defensive alliance was great, big compliments to the chain, especially to the two central defenders who did it really well in the new constellation,” said Jaissle, who, with Oumar Solet and Kamil Piatkowski, has to do without two central defenders for longer. However, the constellation was not entirely new: The back four with Rasmus Kristensen, Jerome Onguene, Wöber and Andreas Ulmer played in the premier class two years ago.
Jaissle in a positive mood for the future
In any case, a positive development can be seen in the defensive area, that is still the big keyword in Salzburg. “Our goal is to improve from game to game,” said Wöber. The next opportunity for this is on October 20 against Wolfsburg. The coach is also in good spirits after the performance against Lille (“That is not a matter of course with a young team”). “How they (the players, note) march on and on, that makes me extremely positive.”
UEFA Champions League, Group G, second matchday
Wednesday:
Salzburg – Lille 2: 1 (1: 0)
Wals-Siezenheim, Sazburg Stadium, 24.207 spectators, SR Meler (TUR)
Goal sequence:
1-0 Adeyemi (35./foul penalty)
2-0 Adeyemi (53./hand penalty)
2: 1 Yilmaz (62nd)
Salzburg: Köhn – Kristensen, Onguene, Wöber, Ulmer – Seiwald, Camara, Aaronson, Sucic (70./Capaldo) – Okafor (62./Sesko), Adeyemi (75./Adamu)
Lille: Grbic – Djalo, Fonte, Botman, Gudmundsson (84th / Reinildo) – Weah (59th Bamba), Andre, Xeka (59th / Onana), Gomes (59th / Icon) – David (84th / Lihadji), Yilmaz
Yellow cards: Adeyemi, Capaldo or Botman, Xeka, Yilmaz, Fonte, Bamba