Shock in the 90th Minute

Frustration in Salzburg: “That can’t happen to us”

Haris Tabakovic and his teammates let the win slip away in Celje.(Bild: GEPA)

“This shouldn’t happen to us!” Red Bull Salzburg missed out on three points in Celje that could prove crucial for their Europa League advancement. 

After conceding a late goal, coach Danny Röhl was frustrated by how the 2-2 draw came about. Following a free kick of their own, Salzburg found themselves under pressure and conceded the equalizer to Armandas Kucys. “I told the guys, you can only make a mistake like that once—not twice in this competition,” said Röhl.

Danny Röhl(Bild: GEPA)

Instead of six, Salzburg has only four points after three matchdays. Sturm Graz (19th) moved past them in the standings on the 21st. In two weeks, the next crucial match awaits Salzburg. They’ll face Anderlecht again on the road. The Belgians celebrated a 3-0 win on Thursday at Jagiellonia Białystok in Poland and thus secured their first points. Haris Tabakovic and Co. now face a challenging domestic task with the league showdown at LASK.

Salzburg Breathes Life into Opponents
In Celje’s often frantic “ping-pong match” (Leandro Morgalla), Salzburg seemed on track in the 46th minute. Jesper Lindström needed just 23 seconds to score the 2-0 goal. Röhl then recognized a “broken” opponent—one that his defense brought back into the game. Celje’s 1-2 goal shortly afterward was as unnecessary as it was costly. Once again, the coordination was off; the Slovenians got through the defensive line far too easily. Left back Dominik Schmid, as the last man, came up short against Blaz Kramer.

For the Swiss player, however—like his coach—it was the 90th minute that bothered him more. “It feels like a loss,” Schmid said on Sky. “If you can’t run out the clock confidently, our game management isn’t good enough. That can’t happen to us at this level,” the 28-year-old noted. We didn’t play “dirty” enough in the final quarter-hour, Leandro Morgalla emphasized. Lindström simply said: “When you’re leading 2–0, you have to win.”

“Tomorrow is a new day”
The Dane, who scored in his second consecutive game, wanted to quickly put the negative experience behind him. Sleep on it and then move on—that’s his motto. “It’s tough, but that’s soccer. Tomorrow is a new day,” said Lindström. After all, the second-place team—still undefeated in the league—faces LASK in Linz on Sunday. The Champions League participant is coming off a surprise victory in Lisbon.

Röhl may have to reshuffle the lineup again. Goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky received treatment in the second half but was able to finish the game. The national team goalkeeper had already been sidelined two weeks ago due to adductor problems. Röhl said he hopes “that everything is okay.” Things are coming thick and fast for the German coach’s team. The match against LASK will be followed by the ÖFB Cup round of 16 in Bregenz, and the trip to Anderlecht is sandwiched between league matches against Austria Lustenau and Sturm Graz. Only the international break in November will offer another chance to catch their breath.