Salzburg coach Gerhard Struber used largely the same formation as last week against Sturm in front of 5,595 fans at the Hofmann Personal Stadium. Only Luka Sucic replaced Mads Bidstrup in central midfield. Captain Andreas Ulmer again played on the right flank due to a lack of alternatives. The Linz team was missing top scorer Ronivaldo, who scored the gold goal in the 1-0 surprise coup in Salzburg in September, due to muscular problems.
This time the game practically started 0-1. Linz played back after kick-off. Maranda stopped the ball for BW goalie Nicolas Schmid, whose shot attempt was blocked by Ratkov into the goal. The record for the fastest goal in league history was previously held by a Salzburg player, Patrik Jezek, who scored after ten seconds in 2007. However, Ratkov’s goal should not have counted because the Serb started too early into the opponent’s half during the kick-off.
Linz manages to equalize quickly
Salzburg tried to follow up, but was outwitted in a standard situation. After a free kick cross from Marco Krainz from the half field, Fabio Strauss served the ball to Maranda, who also finished with a header. Blue and White countered Salzburg’s offensive well organized and with a lot of physicality. The “Bulls” had more of the game, but only had half chances before the break. A header from Fernando went over the goal (34′), a shot from Sucic went past the near corner (45′).
After the break, Salzburg increased the number of hits. An attempt from Oscar Gloukh went past the top corner (48′), Maranda and Schmid worked together to save against Ratkov (51′). Sucic hit the left bar from 13 meters (53′). But Gloukh missed the biggest chance, missing the far corner after a pass from Sucic in front of Schmid (64′). On the other side, ÖFB goalkeeper Alexander Schlager saved against Paul Mensah, but Simon Pirkl’s subsequent shot attempt went just wide (52′).
Linz brings a draw over time
Linz’s counter-attacks kept pinpricking the ball, and Salzburg couldn’t come up with anything decisive in the finish. Substitute Sekou Koita failed to put the ball on goal from a central position (93′). Two minutes later, Kristijan Dobras was shown a red card after a rude foul against the striker from Mali and intervention by the video referee. The fouled man shot the following free kick into the wall himself.
The “Bulls” only took one point from two duels this season with the promoted team. They have not yet won a competitive game against Blue and White. With their 25th away game without defeat across the season, Salzburg extended their Bundesliga record streak. Blue-White only got one win from the last eight competitive games, but after the 1-1 draw at the start of the spring in Altach, they got another point. The Upper Austrians are still ninth in the table.
Admiral Bundesliga, 19. Round
Saturday:
Blau-Weiß Linz – Salzburg 1:1 (1:1)
Linz, Hofmann Personal Stadium, 5,595 spectators, SR Kijas
Torfolge:
0:1 Ratkov (1.)
1:1 Maranda (11.)
BW Linz: N. Schmid – Tursch, Maranda, Fa. Strauss – Gölles (70./S. Seidl), Krainz (57./Briedl), Koch (90./Mitrovic), Pirkl – Mensah, Holiday (70./Dobras), Noß (70./Joao Luiz)
Salzburg: Schlager – Solet, Daniliuc, Pavlovic – Ulmer (55th/Terzic), Sucic, Diambou, Kjaergaard – Fernando (55th/Koita), Ratkov (76th/Simic), Gloukh
Rote Karte: Folds (95.)
Yellow cards: Scheiblehner (coach), Strauss or Struber (coach)
