Special praise for the duo

“We really struggled!” Straight talk from Haris Tabakovic

Haris Tabakovic once again shone as a goal-scorer for the Salzburg team.(Bild: Krone-Collage/GEPA, AFP/NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV)

In addition to the three points, Red Bull Salzburg took home many positive takeaways from their Europa League opener at Levski Sofia. Still, the 1-0 win over the Bulgarian champions was an uphill battle. “We struggled, but we still fought as a team in a cauldron of a stadium,” said golden goal scorer Haris Tabakovic on Sky Sport Austria. One duo received special praise after the match. 

The defense conceded very little in the 1-0 win over the Bulgarian champions; at times, the Salzburg players were even able to defend from a deeper block—a new quality that could prove useful for Coach Danny Röhl’s team in Europe. “It was a very, very mature performance,” said the German.

The reward was Salzburg’s first away win in a major European competition in more than 22 months. The next match is at home against AC Milan on October 15. Before the international break, the Bulls still have a big league match on Sunday (5:00 p.m. on the sportkrone.at live ticker) against Sturm Graz. “We want to deliver another strong performance. If we play well on Sunday, we can be satisfied with the first phase of the season,” said Röhl. “We want to extend our winning streak.”

“World-Class” Midfield Duo
With 13 unbeaten matches to start his tenure, Röhl has already surpassed his notable predecessors Marco Rose (2017) and Jesse Marsch (2019). The Saxon was particularly pleased that his team has kept a clean sheet in more than half of their games. “We’re starting to defend well as a team,” said Röhl. “That’s really important on the international stage. It’s a different challenge than in the league, where you have a lot of periods of possession. Still, we’ve maintained a very good balance.”

Special praise went to the new defensive midfield duo of 19-year-old Polish player Bartosz Mazourek and former Austrian player Abubakr Barry. “The way those two defensive midfielders are playing right now is absolutely world-class,” said Röhl. Barry brings a lot of composure to the team, while Mazourek can speed up the play. “They help us get into the right spaces. We’re also working a lot on this position—it’s the heart of our team.”

Danny Röhl(Bild: AFP/NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV)

Röhl seems to have found his starting lineup. Compared to the recent 1-1 draw in Ried, the only change was Tim Drexler replacing the ailing Valentin Zabransky at center back. “We have very, very good depth in our squad. When you’re playing every three days, you need that,” replied the Salzburg coach, but he also emphasized: “We’re looking forward to playing again on Sunday. We want this packed schedule—there are no excuses.”

Defense in Various Forms
Lewski is a strong team that finds solutions when in possession. “We pressed very well and didn’t give them the chance to get into their rhythm,” said Röhl. “Nevertheless, we managed to defend in a deeper block at times. That’s very important for Europe.” Last season, the Bulls conceded 15 goals in the Europa League group stage—ultimately too many to advance to the next round.

“We have a tremendous amount of quality on defense,” said Drexler. “It’s also a relief for us that we play extremely well with the ball and that we have a lot of possession.” Teenager Christian Zawieschitzky is a reliable backbone in that regard. At 19, the Tyrolean is the youngest starting goalkeeper in the Europa League. “I’m not going to make too much of it,” said Zawieschitzky, who was also called up to the Austrian national team for the first time this week, on Sky. “I’m very grateful to be able to experience all of this.”

Tabakovic Lives Up to Expectations
Right back Nikolas Veratschnig is also hoping to make his international debut. “My goal was to continue developing here and reach my full potential. I think I’m on the right track,” the Carinthian said on ServusTV. “There’s still a long way to go, I know that. There are still a few weaknesses I need to work on.” Röhl confirmed him as his permanent captain this week; his vice-captain is Haris Tabakovic.

Nikolas Veratschnig(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

The goal-scorer has long since proven his value to the Salzburg team. “Everyone expects a striker—or me—to score goals,” explained Tabakovic after once again leading the Bulls to victory in Sofia. “I try to give my best and lead the way.” He noted that the opening-game victory is important for the rest of the league season. “We struggled, but we still fought as a team in a cauldron of a crowd,” Tabakovic praised, adding, “There are other big names coming up. That was the first goal, the first step.”