In the Red Bull Arena, Strahinja Pavlovic (20′) and Benjamin Sesko (41′) scored for the hosts, who were clearly superior over long stretches. Dario Vizinger scored the goal too late (93rd). While coach Matthias Jaissle’s eleven are nine points in second place, one point behind leader LASK, WAC remains without a win.
Robin Dutt’s team is heading for a false start in the league, is eleventh with two points and therefore penultimate and that’s only because Austria Wien, bottom of the table, started with three minus points. The Wolfsberg team, who suffered four league defeats against Salzburg last season, were now traveling to Norway, where the first leg of the Conference League play-off at Molde FK awaits on Thursday (7 p.m.). Red Bull will host Austria Klagenfurt (17:00) next Saturday.
Salzburg coach Jaissle, who was fit on the sidelines again after tonsillitis, left his starting XI unchanged compared to the 2-0 win in Hartberg. After the successful European Cup trip to Malta (4-0 against Gzira), Dutt brought four new players to the Wolfsberg team during the week. Greek newcomer Nikolaos Vergos was allowed to attack from the start for the first time in the league.
The Bulls took control from the start and pushed the Carinthians in at the back. Maurits Kjaergaard missed the hosts’ first good opportunity with a volley (6′). The WAC tried defensively with a lot of “manpower” to fight the constant pressure from Salzburg.
If a goal didn’t come out of the game at first, the Jaissle squad had the opportunity to practice standards with veritable corner series. The ninth corner kick rang for the first time in the WAC goal: Pavlovic, who had moved from AS Monaco to Wals-Siezenheim in the summer, headed in Sucic’s cross via the bottom edge of the bar to make it 1-0. It was the debut goal of the 1.94 m tall defender.
The champions continued to control the game as they pleased, with no chances for the guests. And so the favorites followed suit before the break: Fernando made a strong push down the left wing, and Sesko easily converted his cross pass to make it 2-0. It was the second goal of the season for the 19-year-old Slovenian, who is moving to Leipzig after the season.
Dutt brought on three new players at the break, but the game initially continued to be one-way football. First Sesko missed his second goal because WAC keeper Hendrik Bonmann kept his nerves in the 1-1 draw with the Slovenian (48th). After that, the Carinthians watched Sesko and Luka Sucic kick the ball in their own penalty area, Kjaergaard’s shot was saved again by Bonmann (51′).
In the 53rd minute, WAC recorded their first shot on goal (53rd) through substitute Vizinger, but the team of referees led by Alexander Harkam decided it was offside. The Carinthians were now more offensive. Vergos had a good chance, who was denied a header by Philipp Köhn after a Veratschnig cross (74′). A little later, Maximilian Wöber unintentionally tested his own keeper with a shoulder after a Kerschbaumer free-kick, but Köhn was on the post (82′). Vizinger finally hit the head in added time (93′). The Wolfsbergers can at least be satisfied with the second half.
Source: Nachrichten
