Salzburg have failed to convert their first match point for a first-ever UEFA Champions League round of 16 place. The next opportunity is in Lille.
It was not least the coaching effect at Wolfsburg that ruined Salzburg‘s early place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday. The 1:2 at the “Werksclub” was also due to VfL’s improved performance despite another courageous performance, and in addition, many things that had worked perfectly so far did not fully work this time. In any case, coach Matthias Jaissle saw no reason to mope. “Today we were not rewarded for a really good game,” he said.
With a win, Salzburg would have reached the last 16 for the first time in the club’s history, a draw would at least have been enough to secure a place in the Europa League. But the “Bullen” still have to wait after their first defeat in 21 games (3 draws), even though they remain top of Group G with seven points, ahead of Lille, Wolfsburg (5 each) and Sevilla (3).
In retrospect, Jaissle was proved right: “A completely different” team was what the German had announced in view of an opponent who had appeared rather unsettled and defensively vulnerable in the 3:1 win in Salzburg a fortnight ago. There was no sign of that in the second game under Florian Kohfeldt, successor to the luckless Mark van Bommel, three days after the liberating 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. The three-man or five-man backline had everything under control, and after the early lead through Ridle Baku (3rd), it played the main role for VfL for a long time. The offensive recipe was mostly exhausted by high balls to Wout Weghorst, who had returned from a Corona illness.
Only after Maximilian Wöber equalised with a sensitive free kick (30th), did the home side feel compelled to take more constructive offensive action in front of a crowd of only 16,112. “We had fire in our bellies today. We just got our confidence back,” noted Lukas Nmecha, who rewarded his team with the winning goal (60th). Just as Salzburg’s full-back Rasmus Kristensen did not do it perfectly in the 0:1, both Wöber and goalkeeper Philipp Köhn looked mediocre in Nmecha’s goal.
Adeyemi not in normal form
Anyone who could not match his previous stellar performances performance-wise was striker Karim Adeyemi. “I am extremely disappointed with myself and rightly substituted. The chances we created were not so good and Wolfsburg had every shot,” the 19-year-old, who had missed three good opportunities, said on DAZN. Jaissle came to Adeyemi’s defence, but also that of his colleagues. “With such young lads it’s part of it, it’s a development process. That’s why they are here with us in Salzburg,” the German noted. He tried to be “quite neutral” about what was happening. After all, possession (55:45) and shots on goal (14:8), among other things, also spoke statistically in favour of his troops.
“We are not satisfied, but our game, our passion, our quality was already top,” emphasised Kristensen, who only criticised “small things that did not fit today”. His conclusion: “We still have two finals. We have to be sharper.” Jaissle saw his eleven “brutally punished” by “extremely effective” Wolfsburgers, for the strong-playing midfielder Nicolas Seiwald the “disappointment was great”: “In the dressing room it is as quiet as never before. We are annoyed, of course. But we still have two games, two match points – and we will make use of them,” said the Salzburg player. Then, Jaissle hopes, his team will be “even more cool-headed in front of the box.
Next match point in Lille
One who was unable to make the trip due to his Corona illness was sporting director Christoph Freund. In a fortnight in Lille he should be back on board, then the next match ball will be ready for the Salzburgers. Once again, Jaissle avoided using the word “promotion”. “The players have never heard me say that this is our goal, it’s more media-driven,” the 33-year-old said. “If we continue to perform like this at the top level, then we will be very happy. “