Football – Salzburg also impressed at the highest level against Milan
According to Jaissle, they wanted to play “brave and bold” and “hurt” the favorites with intensity and pressing, as midfielder Nicolas Seiwald recognized. And the domestic series champion ensures that it is not just a matter of buzzwords. From the first minute. “We wanted to be bold, push up, annoy and stress them, and we succeeded over many phases,” explained a proud Jaissle. Although his team clearly had less possession, they had just as many shots on target as Milan and – apart from Rafael Leao’s shot at the post in the last minute – had the more dangerous actions.
The lead by Noah Okafor (28th) was no coincidence and not undeserved. “We could have scored three points today, but we’re satisfied with one point,” said the Swiss. The good performance at the start of the premier class gave him courage for the further tasks in group E. “I’m convinced that we can cause a surprise.” The hopes of reaching the round of 16 should at least not have diminished.
“We have a somewhat mixed feeling, but we’re still satisfied with the point,” midfielder Nicolas Seiwald also cries for two more points, at least quietly. “We could have won the game with Fernando’s chance, but we were lucky in the end. The fans really have us,” said Salzburg after the performance in front of a full house (29,520).
Jaissle found it understandable that his players quickly regretted the draw. “When you’re so close against a team like Milan, I can understand reactions like that. I have the feeling that the players are happy, but that distinguishes my lads, that they’re always greedy, act courageously and boldly.” , said the 34-year-old.
Fernando’s “cloud shot” in the 53rd minute should have been 2-1, but otherwise the Brazilian fielded with active, creative but also annoying play. “He did it very well,” said Jaissle of the summer commitment, which he dismissed in the second half with a thigh injury: “We didn’t want to take any risks.”
On the defensive, his squad didn’t burn much, Milan’s storm oldie Olivier Giroud didn’t come into its own. The hose could only be pushed in high once. Before the goal was conceded, the Italians freed themselves with a quick combination via the Portuguese winger Rafael Leao, who was otherwise in good hands with Amar Dedic, who served in the middle to the goalscorer Alexis Saelemaekers (40th). Jaissle took it easy: “You can’t defend everything against these absolute top teams,” he said. “The team didn’t let themselves be disturbed, continued to play bravely and attacked forwards.”
Milan’s coach Stefano Pioli was only moderately enthusiastic about his team’s away point. “It was a good result, but not a great performance from us. We could have done better against a very good opponent who made it extremely difficult for us.” He described Salzburg as “an extremely fast team that was well prepared. If they keep playing like this, they have good chances.”
Three CL debutants with Dedic (20 years old), Dijon Kameri (18), who is very inexperienced even in the Bundesliga, and Strahinja Pavlovic (21), change the good performance just as little as the supposed malaise in central defense. During the warm-up, Maximilian Wöber’s adductors complained, for whom Pavlovic had to stand in. “He did it really, really well,” Wöber praised his substitute. Shortly before the break, Wöber’s regular teammate Oumar Solet was also lost with a muscle injury, and Bernardo came in for him. “Chapeau in front of Pavlovic and Bernardo, as they did at this level,” says Jaissle.
Jaissle did not believe that the negative effects would have an impact on the immediate future. “I’m worried, but I’m not worried and I hope that we’ll get through the difficult autumn well,” he said. Because of the tightly packed calendar of the Qatar World Cup, 13 games are waiting for Salzburg in the next eight weeks.
In any case, it was a very special evening for 18-year-old Dijon Kameri, who was allowed to play behind the strikers due to Luka Sucic’s groin injury. “I was already nervous before the game, the anthem brought extreme feelings. I actually couldn’t realize that I’d be there from the start,” explained the ÖFB youth team player, who hadn’t made a European Cup appearance for the “Bulls” before kick-off and only had three in the league and made his starting eleven debut last Saturday at the 2-0 against WSG Tirol. “He’s on a very good path,” said Jaissle.
Dedic, who was on loan at WAC in the pre-season, was also able to sum up. “I would have liked to have won, but overall we can be satisfied.” He was proud that Leao was preferably canceled against him: “I knew that he was a top player. I looked at one or the other scene and knew that I had to give 110 percent. I did that today.”
And it will also be necessary in the coming week when you make a guest appearance at Stamford Bridge with Thomas Tuchel’s wounded Zagreb player “Blues”. “We want to remain modest and annoy the teams. We want that at Chelsea next week,” said Jaissle, who first wanted to toast success: “Before the game I joked: If we win the game, I approve A Vino Rosso for me.”