Perfect start to the championship group in Klagenfurt

FC Red Bull Salzburg

·2 April 2023

Perfect start to the championship group in Klagenfurt

Superb away showing

Our side picked up a thoroughly convincing 3-0 win in their championship group opener today - with the hosts registering a single shot on goal over the 90 minutes!

Match summary

The first twist of the day had nothing to do with our boys - it was announced that Klagenfurt's top scorer Markus Pink, the top goalscorer in the Austrian Bundesliga, has left to Shanghai Port FC with immediate effect and was out of the hosts' squad as a result.

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His former team-mates were under the guidance of their assistant coach Martin Lassnig - with supremo Peter Pacult suspended, and there was little they could do about our attacking might. Oscar Gloukh made his mark on the encounter in the 16th minute, shortly after the woodwork had denied him. Captain Andi Ulmer supplied the Israeli and watched on as the youngster, who turned 19 yesterday, danced around the defender and slammed a superb first goal for us into the net.

We continued our attacking endeavours with no let-up in pace. Amar Dedic smashed the ball into the crossbar, and Benji Sesko sent it just wide. Wernitznig did the same with the hosts' only effort of the first-half soon afterwards. Our dominance did decline as the half went on, without us being in any real danger of losing control of the game.

The game became a bit tetchier after the change of ends. Lucas Gourna-Douath stuck a leg out and caught an opponent and the referee was called to his monitor to check for a possible red card - it was clearly accidental though and no card was given. The referee and his VAR colleagues were called into action again moments later after Sekou Koita was flagged offside before being brought down by home goalkeeper Menzel. The decision was reversed and a penalty was awarded!

Benji Sesko took on the responsibility, eyed the bottom corner and scored – 2-0 (63'). That wasn't the last of the VAR drama: substitute Junior Adamu pounced clinically with a volley to send an Ulmer set piece into the net at the far post, and the Austrian international was adjudged not to be standing offside as initially indicated. That was Adamu's eighth goal of the season - incredibly all of them have come away (69').

We wanted another call to go our way some time later as Forson smashed the ball into Benatelli's body, but no penalty was awarded for handball. It remained 3-0 though and our boys took their 11th away win in a row!

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You can't expect to automatically start a game like that after an international break. We managed to get into rhythm right from the word go. Winning by this margin was absolutely deserved. You saw today that Klagenfurt are not in the championship group for nothing - but it was a good performance from our team, on the whole!

Matthias Jaissle