Salzburg debacle in the Youth League final – 0: 6 against Benfica
Benfica took revenge on Salzburg for the defeat in the 2017 final and celebrated the highest final win ever in the UEFA youth competition, which has been held since 2013/14. On the way to the final, Salzburg beat FC Sevilla, VfL Wolfsburg and Paris Saint-Germain, among others, and even beat Atletico Madrid 5-0 in the semifinals. However, Rene Aufhauser’s protégés could not match this performance – quite the opposite: they were caught cold in the first few minutes.
After 110 seconds, goalie Adam Stejskal saved in extremis from an Araujo chance. Salzburg didn’t get the ball out of the danger zone after that and Neto hit the far corner with a low shot from close range. The Mozart city presented with an attempt by Oumar Diakite, in which Benfica goalkeeper Andre Gomes won (3rd). However, the technically clearly superior Portuguese continued to dominate, Stejskal defused a top chance from Araujo (7th).
In the 15th minute, the Salzburg goalie was beaten again. Araujo converted a cross from Neto – those two players featured in Benfica’s 2020 Youth League final defeat by Real Madrid. The pace dropped as a result, but Salzburg posed two more threats before the break. Andre Gomes saved a shot from Roko Simic over the bar (37′) and saved a header from Lukas Wallner (40′).
Soon after the change of sides, Salzburg’s hopes of a turnaround were finally over. First of all, a cross that was unluckily deflected by Wallner fell right in front of Cher N’Dour’s legs, who shot in to make it 3-0 (53′). Then Salzburg could be countered, Araujo rounded Stejskal and made it 4-0 (57th). Twelve minutes later “Joker” Semedo made it 5-0, Araujo made the final score from a penalty (89′).
Benfica was thus able to celebrate the Youth League trophy for the first time after three previous defeats in the final and clinched its first triumph in the UEFA competition since the European Cup of Champions in 1962 Bela Guttmann uttered a curse that the “Adler” would not win a European title in the next 100 years. Since then, Benfica have lost eleven international finals (Champion Cup 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988, 1990, UEFA Cup 1983, Europa League 2013, 2014, Youth League 2014, 2017, 2020).
Salzburg coach Aufhauser was disappointed after the removal. “Short and painless, we weren’t as sharp as last Friday (note: against Atletico), and the opponent was a step stronger, the game went accordingly. After what felt like two or three shots, we were 2-0 down, after that Benfica was able to show the quality.”
The ex-ÖFB team player mourned the missed second triumph in the youth league. “It hurts everyone when you’re so close, it’s the same for me personally. Of course we wanted this title and we invested everything. But in sport there are winners and losers, ups and downs understand a few days when impressions come from home, from family and friends who are really proud,” explained Aufhauser.