The Salzburg Champions League adventure came to a painful end on Tuesday evening. Neither before the game nor after the strong opening ten minutes would you have thought that you would go down like this in the 1:7 (0:4) in the round of 16 second leg against Bayern. Robert Lewandowski’s hat-trick between the 12th and 23rd minutes sealed Salzburg’s fate – and also made the difference. While Bayern’s world-class striker immediately converted his chances, Salzburg missed their two top opportunities that might have made the game more exciting. And that takes revenge on the class team like FC Bayern.
Salzburg would have gladly taken a penalty shoot-out in this European Cup duel. But only after 120 minutes. Instead, Bayern had scored twice from the spot after just 23 minutes.
When Maximilian Wöber fouled it was clear. The central defender hit Robert Lewandowski in the ankle. Lewandowski took a long time before sending keeper Köhn into the other corner (12′).
It was more delicate with the second penalty. Referee Clement Turpin, who had decided on a free kick, was overruled by VAR. Wöber’s foul was on the edge of the penalty area – a small Bayern bonus was there. And because it was a “factual decision”, the referee didn’t even look at the decision on the monitor, but changed his mind directly. Again Robert Lewandowski waited until Salzburg’s goalkeeper Philipp Köhn had decided to take a corner – and scored to make it 2-0 (21st).
And practically from the start, Lewandowski was celebrating again. Goalkeeper Köhn’s excursion and attempt to clear things went wrong – the ball bounced off Lewandowski’s knee and hit the post before Lewandowski pushed the ball over the line (23′).
Hat-trick record
Nine minutes for a flawless hat-trick has only happened once in the Champions League: in 1995 Mike Newell pulled off the same feat in Blackburn’s 4-1 win over Rosenborg Trondheim. Robert Lewandowski could have chosen a different game.
It never got really loud in the Allianz Arena in Munich, which was only filled with 25,000 spectators due to the corona. No comparison to the atmosphere in Salzburg three weeks ago, when Bayern only made it 1-1 in the 90th minute in front of a full house.
After the FC Lewandowski festival at the beginning, Salzburg was only concerned with damage limitation. Only after four more goals by Serse Gnabry (31st), Thomas Müller (54th/83rd) and Leroy Sane (87th) did Bayern finally have enough. In a Champions League KO duel, FC Schalke 04 lost 7-0 to Manchester City in the 2019 round of 16.
Maurits Kjaergaard scored the goal of honor (71′) before the dejected Salzburg players were celebrated by their own fans after the final whistle despite the debacle. It was a farewell party.
Real wants to turn things around with Alaba and Juanito’s spirit
Real Madrid and David Alaba are required on Wednesday (9 p.m., ServusTV). In the round of 16 of the Champions League, the Spanish leaders have to catch up from a 1-0 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the sold-out Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. The star ensemble of the French was a class better in the first leg, the prospect of the trophy with the “giant ears”, which the sheikh club has never won, is intact. A goal in the 93rd minute, ruthlessly and intriguingly finalized by Kylian Mbappe, secured PSG the narrow win. “He’s the best player in Europe,” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti of the 23-year-old world champion, who is said to be fit for action despite a training injury. “I play safe,” said Mbappe.
The madridistas draw their confidence from the “remontada” myth – the race to catch up. Significantly influenced by Juanito, Real’s legendary number 7, because he always put in a lot of effort in front of his home crowd. And sometimes preached in both Italian and Spanish: “90 minuti en el Bernabeu son molto longos”. In English: 90 minutes at the Bernabeu are very long. Maybe this time there will even be 120 with a subsequent showdown in a penalty shootout.
Source: Nachrichten
