Published: November 9, 2025 6:54 p.m
Updated: November 9, 2025 8:45 p.m
Red Bull Salzburg extends their unbeaten streak to six league rounds. In the summit against champions Sturm Graz, Thomas Letsch’s team won a hard-fought point in a 1-1 draw on Sunday despite losing their lead.
Red Bull Salzburg goes into the international break as leaders of the Bundesliga. The runner-up fought to a 1-1 draw at Sturm Graz in the league summit of the 13th round on Sunday and kept the defending champion, who had played a game less, three points away. In between there is the second Rapid, which is one point short of first place. Leon Grgic (46th) brought the hosts ahead in front of 15,517 fans, Yorbe Vertessen (65th) equalized in line with his performance.
“I saw a duel at eye level. We wanted to win the game, but we didn’t succeed. We are disappointed with the result, but we saw a good performance from my team,” summed up Sturm Graz coach Jürgen Säumel.
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Salzburg coach Thomas Letsch particularly emphasized the ability to now bounce back from setbacks. “We are currently prepared to close the rooms. You should not forget that we have 27 games under our belt,” said Letsch.
Salzburg youngster Jannik Schuster: “Eleven players are now defending”
Youngster Jannik Schuster, who displaced the highly gifted Joane Gadou from the starting line-up, was one of the stabilizers in the recently shaky defense alongside defense chief Jacob Rasmussen. “It was a very competitive game. In terms of chances, the draw is okay. The deficit immediately after the restart was bitter. But we can live with the point. What has changed is that eleven players are defending,” Schuster explained to SALZBURG24 (see video below).
The 19-year-old Tyrolean was one of the most striking players and particularly shone with a top duel rate. The central defender was able to win over 85 percent of his duels. “I get on very well with Jacob. Our substitutes also make a huge impact in every game,” said Schuster, who played his way into the team through consistent performances at FC Liefering and good training with the Letsch crew. He has now been in the starting line-up five times and has repaid the coach’s trust.
His predecessor Samson Baidoo, now under contract with RC Lens, was a guest at the league summit and visited the team in the dressing room after the final whistle.
Special praise for 19-year-old defensive stabilizer
“It was a certain risk to start with so many young central defenders at the beginning, but we consciously decided to go this route. Jannik (Schuster, note) gets better with every game and appears as if he had already played 200 duels,” there was special praise for the 19-year-old.
This meant that Salzburg avoided a second defeat in a direct duel this season after the 2-0 defeat. Although the Bulls ended a series of four competitive game wins in a row, their record of six unbeaten league games in a row is impressive. The Graz team were able to write again after the league defeats against WAC and Rapid. Both teams were tired after their European Cup appearances on Thursday. Salzburg continues at home against WSG Tirol on November 23rd.
Four changes at Sturm Graz
The Graz team made four changes compared to the goalless Europa League draw against Nottingham Forest. Tim Oermann and Dimitri Lavalee formed the central defense, and Tochi Chukwuani and Grgic were also allowed to try out from the start. Salzburg didn’t make as many substitutions compared to the 2-0 win against the Go Ahead Eagles. The fit again goalkeeper Alexander Schlager returned, Petar Ratkov also stormed, while Vertessen initially only sat on the bench.
Before the break, Salzburg gained advantages in possession of the ball and also won more duels (59 percent each), but it was the hosts who dominated the game, which was also clear from the 7:3 shot record. However, there wasn’t a great chance. A shot from Maurice Malone was too weak (18′), a volley from Grgic from a tight angle missed (28′), and Schlager also had trouble with a Horvat shot. Malone didn’t get the follow-up shot on goal (44′).
Bulls lead taken back after VAR study
Salzburg became dangerous for the first time with a Ratkov flying header (33′) and celebrated their lead too early eight minutes later. Edmund Baidoo passed Oliver Christensen after Bischoff’s ideal hole pass and scored from the tightest angle to make it 0-1. After studying the video, referee Stefan Ebner withdrew the goal due to a foul by Ratkov on Lavalee at the beginning of the action. A controversial decision. “You don’t have to blow the whistle, but I have to accept it,” said Letsch.
The second half couldn’t have started better for Graz. Less than 15 seconds had been played when Grgic deflected a Kiteishvili shot into the goal with his knee. Chukwuani could have added more, but was prevented from finishing at the last second (53′).
Thomas Letsch announces the Vertessen goal during the break
In return, Sota Kitano missed the equalizer (54th). But that was only canceled because Thomas Letsch swapped the right players. Yeo and Vertessen combined into the penalty area, where the latter slammed the ball under the crossbar. The five-time league goalscorer Vertessen also scored in the Europa League. “I said during the break that Vertessen would decide the game. Unfortunately it was only the equalizer and not the lead,” revealed the German.
For the tenth time, a substitute scored a goal for the runners-up. This is further proof of the quality of the Bulls squad. In the finish, Schlager held on to Salzburg’s point with a save on a shot from “Joker” Jacob Hödl (86th).
Tore:
- 1:0 Grgic (46.)
- 1:1 draw (65.)
Lineups
Sturm Graz: Christensen – Malic (82. Mitchell), Oermann, Lavalee, Karic – Horvat, Gorenc Stankovic, Kiteishvili (82. Hödl), Chukwuani (75. Rozga) – Le. Grgic (75. Jatta), Malone (62. Kayombo)
Salzburg: Schlager – Lainer (72nd Trummer), Schuster, Rasmussen, Terzic – Diabate, Kjaergaard (82nd Bidstrup) – Kitano (62nd Yeo), Bischoff (62nd Vertessen) – Baidoo (82nd Aguilar), Ratkov
Missing: Kawamura, Konate, Mellberg (all knees), Onisiwo (pelvis)
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