A Dominant Performance

LIVE: Salzburg is ruthless! Can Lustenau respond?

The Salzburg team had plenty of goals to celebrate against Austria Lustenau!(Bild: GEPA)

With a lopsided victory, Red Bull Salzburg has, at least temporarily, overtaken Rapid at the top of the standings. On Sunday, Salzburg crushed Austria Lustenau 5-1 (3-0) and remains the only undefeated team at the halfway point of the regular season. Yorbe Vertessen (12th min.), Frans Krätzig (27th min.), and Tim Drexler (35th min.) set the stage for the team’s sixth win in its sixth home game of the season and served as a successful dress rehearsal for Thursday’s Europa League match at Anderlecht.

Salzburg coach Danny Röhl made five changes to the starting lineup compared to the 3–1 win over champions LASK a week ago. However, the numerous injury-related absences did not prove to be a factor in the away match against the promoted team, which had surprised everyone with a cup victory over Sturm Graz earlier in the week. Salzburg dominated possession and the opposition from the start, creating a good half-dozen clear-cut scoring chances in the first half alone.

’sBeautiful Solo RunsAfter a header by striker Haris Tabakovic (9th minute) that went just wide, Vertessen opened the scoring with a shot into the near corner following a beautiful solo run. Shortly after a shot by Bartosz Mazurek hit the post and Kevin Boma’s follow-up was blocked (25th minute), Krätzig finished off an equally beautiful solo run to make it 2–0. Drexler added another goal off a header assist from Vertessen; the Belgian playmaker was denied shortly afterward by Lustenau goalkeeper Domenik Schirl (39th minute).

The home team also had top-notch chances after the break, starting with Vertessen on a counterattack (50'). With an away game in Belgium coming up on Thursday, Salzburg didn’t need to go all out and was able to conserve energy. Still, there were goals. After a corner kick, the ball deflected off Robin Voisine and into his own net (68’); Abubakr Barry curled the ball into the corner to seal the final score (82’). Albin Gashi sealed the final score with a historic goal—Lustenau’s first ever against RB Salzburg in the Bundesliga (91st minute).

’sStrong First-Half RecordSalzburg thus finished the first half of the regular season undefeated for the first time in four years, maintaining a home record of six wins and a 21-3 goal differential, and extending its impressive streak in Bundesliga matchups against the Vorarlberg side. Following a 6–0, two 4–0, and a 7–0 victory between August 2022 and February 2024, the Red Bulls celebrated another decisive win in their fifth meeting and now hold a 26–1 goal differential. Lustenau suffered its sixth loss in its last seven league games and has conceded 18 goals in its last four matches. On the road this season, Austria has earned just one point so far.

With only 5,113 spectators, attendance at the stadium in Wals-Siezenheim was as low as it had been for a Bundesliga match since December 2024. One reason could be the early kickoff time on All Saints’ Day. In any case, the fans criticized the kickoff time with a banner reading: “Respect for the dead instead of a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.”