Red Bull Salzburg were today held 1-1 at Austria Vienna in their 27th match of the tipp3-Bundesliga, powered by T-Mobile.
With 10,500 fans inside the Horr Stadium it looked as if the Red Bulls would take three points with Janko firing them into the lead just before half time. An innocuous counter attack produced a goal for the hosts just six minutes from time, however, to ensure that Salzburg missed out on what would have been their seventh away win of the season.
The draw was enough to ensure that the Bulls became the official winner of the league’s third quarter of the season, with Salzburg now five points ahead of Rapid Vienna at the top of the table.
Red Bull Salzburg were today forced to do without Leitgeb, although Pitak returned from suspension. The starting line-up: Gustafsson; Bodnar, Sekagya, Gercaliu, Ulmer; Boussaidi, Aufhauser; Pitak, Tchoyi; Nelisse, Janko.
A strong, swirling wind and an awful pitch greeted the 22 players as they entered the arena. Keeping control of the ball in such conditions should test both sides . . .
Kick off at the Horr Stadium . . .
Rene Aufhauser needs treating on the sidelines after getting bloodied by Okotie in an aerial challenge after five minutes but he is able to continue.
With ten minutes played, both teams are playing some very tentative football, preferring to feel each other out rather than drive forward . . .
15 minutes: Sun puts his boot into Bodnar with a nasty challenge that mysteriously goes unpunished by the referee. Fortunately the Hungarian is able to play on after some brief treatment.
18 minutes: A long throw from Bodnar finds Janko who troubles Safar in the Austria goal with his head, although the home keeper saves at the second attempt.
The hosts have a decent chance on the break. Sulimani goes close after completing a one-two with Acimovic (20 mins).
27 minutes: Topic shoots within four yards of the target from long range.
The best chance of the match so far comes on the half-hour mark. Tchoyi’s deep cross is met by Janko’s head but Safar dives to save in style.
33 minutes: Janko again! Pitak plays the Austrian striker though on goal but he fires on goal straight away when perhaps he should have tried to fashion a better angle!
Austria Vienna have a huge chance at the other end of the pitch. Okotie is sent through on goal by Sulimani but fires over (35 mins).
44 minutes: 1-0 to Red Bull Salzburg! Tchoyi charges past a pair of Austria Vienna players on the left side of the field and sends a deep cross towards Marc Janko. Blanchard intercepts for the home side but his weak header droops to the feet of Janko who smashes the ball into the net with a superb drop kick! Goal number 33 of the season and the third of 2009 for Janko!
After a two minute epilogue, the referee signals an end to the first half with Red Bull Salzburg taking a deserved 1-0 lead into the dressing room.
RBS Sporting Director Heinz Hochhauser at the break: “We controlled the match in the first half and due to the chances that we created we deserve the lead. It’s difficult to combine and move on this poor pitch.”
The second half gets underway with both teams unchanged.
51 minutes: Austria Vienna get the first big chance of the half. Standfest centres to Okotie, who barges past Sekagya before seeing his close-range shot saved by Gustafsson.
53 minutes: Bodnar tries one from long distance and Safar turns the ball over the crossbar.
With 60 minutes up, the Viennese are getting increasingly confident. The Red Bulls have, for their part, encouraged the home side to attack by sitting back and aiming to protect their one-goal lead above all else.
62 minutes: Salzburg make their first substitution. Vonlanthen replaces Pitak.
64 minutes: Boussaidi is booked for the ninth time this season, ruling him out for the ‘return leg’ against Austria in a fortnight.
69 minutes: A high, deep and testing free kick homes in on the Salzburg penalty area. Gustafsson misjudges the ball’s trajectory and is forced to scramble it around the post with his fingertips!
Austria are now striving for an equaliser with some real gusto – they are only able to get the odd corner though as the Bulls are defending well.
73 minutes: The Bulls make their second substitution with Zickler replacing Janko.
76 minutes: Bak is booked, ruling the Austria Vienna man out of his team’s next match at the Red Bull Arena!
84 minuets: The equaliser! Sulimani seizes the ball in midfield and shrugs off three Salzburg midfielders before sending a superb ball to Diabang, who eases past Sekagya before beating Gustafsson to make it 1-1!
87 minutes: The Bulls make another switch with Mahop replacing Nelisse.
90 minutes are up with three minutes of stoppage time remaining.
Full-time is called with Austria Vienna and Red Bull Salzburg sharing the points in a 1-1 draw.
Co Adriaanse: “We wanted three points and we missed our target. We deservedly took the lead but made too many mistakes in possession during the second half. In the end we lacked the quality to keep our lead. We need to play more intelligently at times – we suffered from a catastrophic mistake in the build-up to the equaliser.”
Rene Aufhauser: “In all we can be pleased with a point. We controlled the match for 60 minutes and unfortunately we threw away our lead by conceding a silly goal. Straight after my collision I thought I had broken my nose. That has proven not to be the case, thank god.”
Marc Janko: “We are pretty angry about missing out on a win. If you look at Austria’s home form then you have to be happy with a point, however. Doubly so when you consider that they put more into the game than us in the second half.”
