SV Austria Salzburg 3-2 (0-1) FC Pinzgau Saalfelden. Goals: Sorda (51) Rahmanovic (72), Hödl (90+2); Tandari (32; 52)
FC Pinzgau Saalfelden, who were without a number of players and their head coach Christian Ziege for the final fixture of the Fall season, were beaten 3-2 by Austria Salzburg following the award of a soft penalty to the hosts in stoppage time.
The home side clearly had the better of it in the opening stages and Kilian Schröcker was required to intervene in the second minute after a careless possession giveaway. The shot-stopper made a great reflex save and then benefited from a slice of luck as the follow-up struck the crossbar. While Austria Salzburg had more of the ball, the visitors from Saalfelden grew increasingly dangerous and Tamas Tandari fired a spectacular scissor kick narrowly over following a perfectly cross from Joao Pedro. A few moments later, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez teed up Lukas Moosmann nicely with a header but the midfielder missed the target from close range. Despite having more of the play, the Violets were by this point only creating half-chances. Around the half-hour mark, Tandari was fortunate to see the ball drop into his path and headed home the opener to put his side 1-0 up at the break.
The second half got off to the worst-possible start, with the home side taking their first major chance and levelling via Mariko Sorda’s shot that cannoned in off the upright. Following another chance for Marco Hödl, Tandari put the Ziege Crew back in front at 2-1 with a well-placed shot from range that hit the base off the post and went in. The visitors then enjoyed their best spell of the game, with Joao Pedro spurning two good opportunities, before Schröcker made two energetic interventions at the other end. In the 72nd minute, Austria Salzburg played a through-ball that teed up Din Nail Rahmanovic to score from the edge of the box. The Pinzgauers had another good shooting opportunity via their captain in the closing stages, but the unmarked Tandari rushed his effort. As has so often been the case this season, Austria Salzburg had the luck on their side in stoppage time as they were awarded a soft penalty that was gratefully converted by Marco Hödl.
STATEMENT
“We went about our business very well today, even though we were missing a number of players. We produced a strong combative performance on the one hand, and had a lot of good moments on the ball and created several good chances for ourselves on the other. When you then lose a game like that due to a decision like that, it’s obviously extremely bitter. But that has been a theme for us throughout the Fall season,” said assistant coach Max Mariacher.
LINE-UP
Schröcker; Kitahara, Mühlbacher, Ziege Adjei; Moosmann; Ocampo-Chavez (Streitwieser, 70), Ibrahimi, Joao Pedro, Fürstaller; Tandari