Salzburg 's run of success at Rapid is over

Red Bull Salzburg today lost the tie of the T-Mobile Bundesliga seventh round 0-1 to Rapid Vienna at the Hanappi Stadium.

The 17,500 sell-out crowd watched Salzburg's proud run of success at Rapid come to end. After seven matches unbeaten in West Vienna, the champions finally succumbed on an away trip to the capital and also suffered an end to Timo Ochs's superb recent run in the process, with the Bulls keeper conceding his first goal in 569 minutes of football!

Red Bull Salzburg's line-up was given another shuffle by Trapattoni's rotation policy. At the back, Dudic moved to the right with Alex starting on the left, and up front Janocko operated behind Zickler. Steinhöfer, Aufhauser and Vonlanthen therefore made way to the bench, where they were accompanied by Remo Meyer as the Swiss defender continues his recovery from injury. The line-up (4-2-2-1-1): Ochs; Dudic, Sekagya, Miyamoto, Alex; Carboni, Kovac; Pitak, Leitgeb; Janocko; Zickler.

The match kicks-off and neither team looks willing to hold anything in reserve with some real verve on display from the very beginning.

6 minutes: Huge chance for Rapid! Thonhofer floats a cross into Fabiano who, completely unchallenged, heads past the wrong side of the post!  

Timo Ochs's run therefore continues for the time being as the Salzburg keeper passes the 500 minute mark since last conceding.

15 minutes: Next chance for the hosts. Hofmann feeds Katzer with a lovely ball but Ochs saves.

26 minutes: Danger in the Salzburg penalty area as Thonhofer surges through on the right and cuts neatly into the centre with a ball that surprises Salzburg defenders and Rapid strikers alike, eventually running through to Dudic to clear.

30 minutes: Leitgeb dazzles into the area and looks to fire in a shot but is challenged by Katzer. Despite appeals, no penalty is given.

Rapid have been bossing the first half-hour in the Austrian capital but the Bulls have stayed strong and are battling well.

37 minutes: Fabiano once again receives the ball in plenty of space when positioned in the Salzburg area but the Austria man lets himself down with his first touch and Miyamoto clears the danger.

39 minutes: Janocko swings a cross towards Pitak who nods goalbound, forcing Payer to make a diving stop.

The Bulls come more into the match in the last few minutes of the first period and are finally able to frustrate Rapid's quick passing game.

Half-time is called on a fiercely contested encounter. Rapid have controlled the possession, enjoying 57 per cent of it, but have been countered by an aggressive Bulls' defence that has won 57 per cent of all challenges.

The second half kicks off with a resurgent Salzburg making a mark in the opening few minutes.

The first chance of the new period falls their way as Leitgeb lets fly in the 50th minute and Payer parries to the corner.

53 minutes: Fabiano has his third big chance of the game as he battles past Miyamoto but smashes off-target!

54 minutes: Double substitution for Red Bull Salzburg. Lokvenc comes on for Zickler and Vonlanthen replaces Janocko.

58 minutes: Rapid threaten the champions again with a Boskovic bicycle kick that demands and gets a superb reflex save from Ochs!

66 minutes: Salzburg surge forward on the break and Pitak looms on goal but fails to find a way past Christian Thonhofer in the Rapid back line.

69 minutes: Ochs has to push the ball over the bar from a Boskovic free-kick.

75 minutes: Salzburg have their best chance yet from a well-placed Alex free-kick that Payer steers to the corner.

77 minutes: 1-0 to Rapid! Katzer outleaps Timo Ochs to get his head on the end of a corner and direct the ball into the net, putting an end to the Salzburg goalkeeper's 569 minute run without conceding . . .

The blow of conceding stuns the Bulls back into life and they rove forward looking for an equaliser, opening up space for Vienna counter-attacks in the process.

87 minutes: Salzburg make their third change with Pitak making way for Ilic.

The match goes into three minutes of stoppage time that turn out to by uneventful. There is to be no last minute Dudic strike this time and Rapid clinch a 1-0 win . . .

Giovanni Trapattoni: "You could see that both teams were a little tired after midweek European games. The result isn't a pleasant one but there is still a long way to go in the championship."

Niko Kovac: "We were only containing Rapid for long periods and it took the goal to get us going forward more. Rapid tried harder which is what did for us today. We were too indecisive and unthreatening up front. This defeat hurts."

Timo Ochs: "We weren't paying attention when we conceded and we shouldn't have gifted Rapid the chance to play like that. It just wasn't enough."