It is an important dress rehearsal for both teams. Vice-champion Red Bull Salzburg will be visiting LASK on Saturday (from 7:30 p.m. in the LIVE ticker >>>) in the highlight of the 3rd round of the ADMIRAL Bundesliga.
The Bulls want to take their recent momentum into the play-off for a place in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev. The first leg will take place on Wednesday in Lublin (Poland). In the next two weeks, LASK will play against FCSB Bucharest for a place in the group stage of the Europa League.
After two rounds, Salzburg are the only team to lead the league with the maximum number of points. The goal difference is 8:3. In five competitive matches under new coach Pepijn Lijnders, they have not lost a single game – but have also conceded seven goals. The Bulls only kept a clean sheet in the cup opener against regional league team FC Dornbirn. In the Champions League qualifiers, they had to worry about promotion in the return match against Twente Enschede (3:3) despite an outstanding first half.
Lijnders warned about LASK: “They will make life difficult for us”
“The game at Twente was important because it showed us that we can play our football away from home in front of a large crowd and fight passionately for a result,” explained Lijnders.
This experience will probably also be needed against LASK. The Linz team recently suffered a somewhat surprising 2-1 defeat at home against Altach. Lijnders: “They will definitely want to show a reaction against us. They have a number of really good players who will certainly make life very difficult for us. We have to be prepared for that.”
Salzburg beat city rivals Blau-Weiß Linz 5-1 at home last week. In the absence of the injured Hendry Blank and Oumar Solet, who is willing to move, Samson Baidoo and Kamil Piatkowski are likely to form the central defence against LASK.
Lijnders will rotate a little in the offensive after the intensive performance in the Netherlands.
LASK defeat in Altach “maybe good”
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Last season, LASK won two of four league duels with Salzburg. The Linz team had never managed that before in Salzburg’s Red Bull era (since 2005). A 1-0 away win in October was followed by a 3-1 home victory in April in the first appearance under coach Thomas Darazs. Striker Marin Ljubicic was the celebrated hero with three goals.
At the end of the season, however, the Linz team suffered a resounding 1:7 defeat in Wals-Siezenheim in May.
“We expect a very demanding game against a team that claims to be the best in Austria,” said Darazs. He did not want to overestimate his own setback against Altach in view of a strong first half. He also tried to take something positive from the defeat. “It was perhaps a good sign for the rest of the season.”
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They won’t have the 80 percent ball possession they had against Vorarlberg against the “clear favorites” from Salzburg. “The game will give us a good report on where we are in our development,” said Darazs. “We feel well prepared and are approaching this big task with confidence.”
The opponent’s approach has changed under Lijnders. “In the long term, they are a very complicated team to play against. But they are not yet as stable as they might be in a few months,” said Darazs.
In addition to his long-term injuries, he will also have to do without Valon Berisha. According to Darazs, the midfield veteran has a slight heel injury and will miss the duel with his former club.
Former DFB team defender Jerome Boateng could make his debut. “He certainly hasn’t played 90 or 45 minutes yet. If we need him, he’s ready to help us in the end,” said Darazs.
By Friday afternoon, 13,500 tickets had been sold. “We need the fans behind us. If everyone joins in, then we’re a really great club and a fortress,” said midfielder Sascha Horvath. Together, we’ll be celebrating three points at the end.
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