Feisty Red Bulls go down 3-4 to Croatian champions.

Red Bull Salzburg 3–4 NK Dinamo Zagreb (H/T: 0-4). Goals: Nelisse (64), Vonlanthen (67), Mahop (80); Sammir (6, 26), Slepicka (9), Mandzukic (43)

Red Bull Salzburg today lost their final friendly match before the league resumes next week, being beaten 3-4 by Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb.

The good news is that the Red Bulls were by far the better team and outscored their opponents 3-0, at least in the second half. . .

. . . Unfortunately a catastrophic first half performance left Salzburg trailing 0-4 at half time in front of 3,000 fans on a snowy day in Salzburg, making the superb second half showing insufficient.

Red Bull Salzburg started with the following team: Gustafsson; Ulmer, Sekagya, Opdam, Gercaliu; Pitak, Vonlanthen, Leitgeb, Jezek; Zickler, Janko.

Referee Schwab kicks the match off. The two teams go into the friendly match in remarkably similar positions. They are both currently at the top of their respective leagues, which both resume next weekend with matches against their closest rivals in the table: while the Bulls host Rapid Vienna, Dinamo are to meet Hadjuk Split.

The chance of a battle of the Kovac brothers hasn’t materialised due to Niko Kovac’s illness. Robert Kovac switched from Dortmund to Dinamo in the winter break and starts for the visitors.

The first piece of goalmouth action brings a goal for the visitors. The ball is played into the area from the right and Pitak is unable to clear, poking the ball towards Sammir, whose deflected shot careers past the helpless Gustafsson and into the net. 0-1 after six minutes!

Zagreb make it 2-0 just three minutes later! Another piece of carelessness in the Salzburg defence (from Ulmer this time) gifts Badelj a shot in the penalty area, which cannons into the post and an alert Slepicka strokes home on the rebound.

10 minutes: Zickler fires a shot from the edge of the penalty area straight at Dinamo goalkeeper Butina.

15 minutes have past with the Croats dominating the match, defending solidly and exhibiting some skillful attacking movement. The Bulls just haven’t turned up yet. . .

22 minutes: A Zickler free-kick from 30 yards flies straight into Butina’s arms.

26 minutes: 3-0 to Zagreb! A dangerous Hrdovic cross is seized on by Sammir and slammed past Gustafsson!

29 minutes: Vonlanthen crosses to Zickler but the German striker’s header is too tame to trouble the opposing goalkeeper.

35 minutes: The Croats are attacking with real menace. Their incisive counter attacks are making it difficult for Salzburg to get into the match as the falling snow gets thicker and thicker. . .

39 minuets: Zickler plays on despite limping due to a blow to his left knee, sustained in a challenge.

40 minuets: A decent Pitak cross is controlled by Janko with his left foot and driven into Butina with his right foot.

A rapid fire attack sends Zagreb into a seemingly unassailable 4-0 lead just before half time. A perfect ball into the path of Sammir is turned towards Mandzukic who, standing all alone, simply has to turn the ball over the line at the far post.

RBS Sporting Director Heinz Hochhauser: “If we continue to play as openly as that then there will be a nasty shock in store against Rapid next week. I hope that the players and coaches can correct the mistakes on display in this match.”

Thomas Linke: “We definitely weren’t expecting that to happen. But, as the saying goes, hopefully it’s a bad dress rehearsal before a good opening night. Above all our defence lacked aggression and positioning.”

The match resumes with the Red Bulls having made two changes. Zickler and Janko are replaced by Nelisse and Mahop. Zickler is suffering a shin injury and is being treated in the dressing room.

Salzburg show significantly more attacking verve in the opening few minutes of the second period.

49 minutes: A great chance for the Bulls! Mahop burst into the penalty area on the right and passes to Pitak, whose shot strays just wide of the left post.

53 minutes: Another chance for the hosts. A brilliant Gercaliu cross zooms in on Nelisse who misfires.

60 minutes: A Gercaliu cross is sent goal-bound off the back of Nelisse’s head but Butina keeps the ball out of the net with a stunning reflex save.

63 minutes: Mahop shoots from the edge of the penalty area and Butina pushes the ball over the crossbar.

64 minutes: Goal for Red Bull Salzburg! A superb goal from Nelisse who sends the ball into the top corner of the net with an almighty wallop!

65 minutes: Salzburg make another substitution with Aufhauser replacing Leitgeb.

67 minutes: The Bulls make it two! A great pass gives Vonlanthen a peek of goal from the inside right and his wonderful strike leaves Butina with no chance!

Given the number of good chances that Salzburg have created the double strike was overdue. The Red Bulls’ zippy, fluent and efficient football is a world removed from their first half showing . . .

80 minutes: Another goal for Red Bull Salzburg! A magnificent attack is converted by a leaping Mahop, who sends a Gercaliu cross crashing into the net with his head – 3-4!

81 minutes: Salzburg substitute Öbster on for Pitak.

The Bulls continue to dominate for the final few minutes but are unable to complete a dream comeback. Dinamo Zagreb ultimately scrape a 4-3 win at Red Bull Salzburg.

Co Adriaanse: “I can’t be happy with the match. To be 0-4 down at half time was really bad. The second half was better, we created chances, didn’t allow our opponents any and scored three goals. We can do a lot better though!”