No points...

Nothing to show for it! Salzburg loses at Anderlecht

Disappointment for the Salzburg team(Bild: GEPA)

FC Red Bull Salzburg leaves Anderlecht without any points to show for it. Danny Röhl’s team suffered a 0–2 loss in Belgium and now has just four points after four matchdays in the Europa League.

Red Bull Salzburg has suffered a setback in the Europa League as it battles for advancement. Coach Danny Röhl’s team suffered a well-deserved 0–2 loss on Thursday in Brussels against Belgian record champions RSC Anderlecht, marking their second defeat in the fourth match of the group stage. Still stuck on four points, Salzburg slipped down the standings and were overtaken by the Belgians, who now have two more points to their credit.

  Left back Ludwig Augustinsson gave Anderlecht the lead with a spectacular free-kick goal in the 20th minute, and Marten Winkler (90th) sealed the victory. Salzburg was a complete disappointment before halftime and was barely able to create any chances afterward. This was their second loss following the 0-4 defeat to AC Milan, while they had picked up points against Levski Sofia (1-0) and, most recently, Celje (2-2). On November 26, they’ll have their next chance to boost their points total at home against Ararat-Armenia. Before that, on Sunday, they’ll face Sturm Graz in a league showdown—their final match before the international break.

One Change to Salzburg’s Starting Lineup
Röhl made only one change to the lineup that secured a 5-1 victory over Austria Lustenau on Sunday. Leandro Morgalla started in defense in place of injured defensive leader Kevin Boma. If we take the 2-2 draw at Celje as a benchmark, there were five changes, three of which were due to injuries. In addition to Boma, Dominik Schmid and Sota Kitano were also absent. The injury problems did not help the visitors’ performance, as they never really got into the game against the well-organized Belgians.

Salzburg couldn’t get going in Anderlecht.(Bild: GEPA)

The hosts had an early spell of pressure; Morgalla was just able to deflect an Ambros shot into the corner (12th minute), and Christian Zawieschitzky had to make his first save on a long-range shot by Biancone (13th minute). The third chance proved successful. Augustinsson curled a free kick over the wall, catching Salzburg’s goalkeeper off guard—he didn’t even react. Frans Krätzig had committed an unnecessary foul just outside the penalty area moments earlier.

Zawieschitzky made several great saves
It was thanks to Zawieschitzky that Salzburg’s deficit did not grow any further before halftime. The 19-year-old Austrian national team goalkeeper made a brilliant save against Mihajlo Cvetkovic (25th minute) and also tipped an Ambros shot over the bar with his fingertips for a corner (42nd minute). Two minutes later, Cvetkovic failed to connect properly with the ball from a good position. Salzburg not only struggled defensively but also failed to make any impact on offense. For the first time in their club history, they failed to register a single shot on goal in the first half of a Europa League match, while the Belgians created seven chances.

Zawieschitzky did a good job.(Bild: GEPA)

After the restart, the visitors showed signs of improvement, and a goal seemed possible for the first time with a header by Haris Tabakovic (71st minute). A second Anderlecht goal by “super sub” Marten Winkler was rightly disallowed, as the ball had completely left the field of play on the cross (74'). On the other end, goalie Colin Coosemans was lucky to deflect a Drexler shot with his face (84'). His counterpart was also called into action once more in a one-on-one with Tawfik Bentayeb (87'). Oliver Antman squandered another golden opportunity (89th). However, he then provided an assist for Winkler, who finished off a counterattack with clinical precision. This secured another competitive victory following the 4-1 league win over Westerlo.