Champions League: Okafor lifts Salzburg to their next home win
The game against the German club started brilliantly from Salzburg’s point of view: DFB team player Karim Adeyemi hit the crossbar after just 124 seconds, Okafor after that (12th). Out of nowhere, the guests managed to equalize after a corner through Lukas Nmecha (15th), which brought Wolfsburg back into the game and took the home side out of the game.
After 45 minutes with no flow of play on either side, Salzburg improved their attacks and rewarded themselves with two goals: Okafor, who came for 11.2 million euros from FC Basel and was sometimes labeled as a “death of chance”, dusted off twice after a corner ( 65th, 77th) and lifted Salzburg to their second home win in a row.
In Group G, the “bulls” lead the table with seven points. The second game between Lille OSC and Sevilla didn’t kick off until 9 p.m. The Salzburg team will continue in two weeks with the “second leg” in Lower Saxony.
Sold out house in the next duel with the DFB Club
A sold-out house in Salzburg provided a worthy setting, as the hosts were interested in nothing less than taking the next step towards the current promotion to the round of 16. Coach Matthias Jaissle was able to rely on his current top eleven in this regard, only Benjamin Sesko joined the injured players in the squad. Instead, Roko Simic was the next talented striker.
The “cops” have recently got used to the comparison with a German club, with Schalke 04 (2016), Borussia Dortmund (2018), RB Leipzig (2019), Eintracht Frankfurt (2020) and Bayern Munich (2020) making guest appearances almost annually a German team here, the home record with two wins, two draws and one defeat in this regard even positive.
As the sixth DFB team, the “wolves” were preparing to take something with them. However, they hadn’t been vicious in the recent past. After four wins and a draw at the start of the league, the last three bankruptcies followed, and after a series of six games without a win, the factory club was crying at all.
The German champions from 2009 came under pressure, and the Salzburg home-grown Xaver Schlager (injured), ÖFB goalie Pavao Pervan (replacement) and Dutch top striker Wout Weghorst are missing after a CoV infection.
Only Haaland was faster than Adeyemi
Weghorst was not the only prominent absentee in the stadium, Salzburg sports director Christoph Freund was absent for private reasons. Its youngest team in the premier class initially fulfilled the enormous expectations before the game – practically no one in and around the stadium did not expect a home win – as desired.
After winning the ball in their own half, Mohamed Camara went to Nicolas Seiwald. His pass in the depth was too short, but Adeyemi licked the ball from the hesitant Kevin Mbabu, and the German young star held his nerve after 124 seconds alone in front of Koen Casteels (3rd). It was the second fastest Salzburg CL goal, only Erling Haaland was faster at the premiere (102 seconds).
For the first time, Salzburg celebrated after three penalties this season from the game, the spectators honored it with standing ovations. In the first quarter of an hour it continued in this key, Salzburg was quicker to act, won duels and the balls. The guests from Wolfsburg could only react, on the offensive they were a mild breeze, a shot from Dodi Lukebakio went far past. On the other hand, when Noah Okafor acted faster than John Brooks this time and hit the crossbar from a difficult situation (12th).
Compensation out of nowhere
But as is often the case in football, a set piece can change pretty much everything in a game. Wolfsburg came to a corner that Maximilian Arnold flipped perfectly into the fiver. There is general Salzburg hesitation there, and Lukas Nmecha headed the ball into the far corner (15th). Thus, Salzburg conceded a goal in the 25th game in a row in the European Cup, which was noticeably good for their opponents.
The guests were more consistent in the duels and in the presented forward, many young “bulls” dying understandably showed a little nerve. Because of many shortcomings on both sides, there were only two good options before the break. Maximilian Wöber saves in the penalty area in front of Lukas Nmecha (39th), who is ready to shoot, and Casteels on the other side against the shooting Sucic (45th).
Standards bring the next home win
A correct flow of play could not be determined on either side, even during the break. Salzburg still had more possession of the ball, but Wolfsburg was compact, as in the best times of its former coach Oliver Glasner. But as in the 2-1 win against Lille, Salzburg persevered and continued to work hard. So the first chances arose in the second half: First Maxence Lacroix cleared before Okafaor (56th), then Adeyemi steered the corner worth seeing with his heel into the far corner – but Casteels showed his class again (57th).
Salzburg had found their game flow again and settled in the opposing practical half. Jerome Roussillon was able to clear a conclusion against Sucic (58th), but the Salzburg lead would have been deserved at this point. In the end, a goal had to be found according to a standard: A corner from Brendan Aaronson came via detours in the person of Rasmus Kristensen to the five, where Okafor finished dry (65th). Twelve minutes later, “Joker” Bernardo headed on and Okafor was there again (77th).
This was followed by chants for Okafor, in the end the next talented striker Simic was substituted on for his professional debut. The victory ensures a corresponding cauldron and also cheers for Dietrich Mateschitz. The 11.8 million euros that his club had put down as a record amount for access paid off that evening. Salzburg are leaders at half-time in the group stage and promotion to the round of 16 is within their grasp.
UEFA Champions League, Group G, third matchday
Wednesday:
Salzburg – Wolfsburg 3: 1 (1: 1)
Wals-Siezenheim, Salzburg Stadium, 29,520 spectators (sold out), SR Orsato / ITA
Goal sequence:
1-0 Adeyemi (2nd)
1: 1 Nmecha (15.)
2: 1 Okafor (65th)
3: 1 Okafor (77th)
Salzburg: Köhn – Kristensen, Onguene, Wöber (72./Bernardo), Ulmer (86./Guindo) – Seiwald, Camara (66./Capaldo), Aaronson, Sucic – Okafor (87./Simic), Adeyemi (87./Adamu .))
Wolfsburg: Casteels – Mbabu, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon (70./Otavio) – Vranckx, Arnold – Baku (70./F. Nmecha), Lukebakio, Steffen – L. Nmecha
Yellow cards: Camara, Capaldo or Mbabu, Arnold
Another game in Group G: Lille OSC – Sevilla FC (9 p.m.)