Blau-Weiß Linz managed to surprise Red Bull Salzburg twice last season. They hope to do the same next Saturday. But Salzburg are performing strongly in this early phase of the season. They have won all of their competitive matches.
Salzburg welcomes Blau-Weiß Linz.
GEPA pictures
Red Bull Salzburg will face “bogey team” Blau-Weiß Linz on Saturday (7.30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker) in its first home game of the young Bundesliga season. The runners-up are clearly the favorites, but last season the Linz team, as newly promoted team, achieved something completely unexpected: a 1-0 win against the “Bulls” and a 1-1 draw at home. Salzburg is therefore being warned. “The boys don’t need much motivation,” said RBS coach Pepijn Lijnders. “They want to show a reaction.”
Salzburg have started the season well under their new coach. In the cup, the league and in the Champions League qualifier against Twente Enschede, they have won three of their first three competitive matches. They want to maintain this flawless record against the blue and whites. “It is important for us to win. We know their strengths, they counter quickly, we have to be ready for that. We respect our opponents just as much as Twente and have to approach the matter with focus,” explained Lijnders.
The Dutchman, who has already lost important players such as Karim Konate, Fernando and Hendry Blank due to injury at the start of the season, was impressed by his team’s first performances. Regulars and substitutes have been convincing so far. “We have to use the power of our squad, you start with eleven, but five come in. Everyone is responsible for the end result. It’s not so important who starts, but the mentality that they are always ready, no matter when they play. It’s a good sign when the style and quality stay the same. That’s been the case so far.”
Piatkowski statt Blank?
With a busy schedule, he needs the entire squad. “Everyone is important. That also brings freshness because not everyone has to play the whole game,” said Lijnders. Kamil Piatkowski could replace Blank in central defense against Linz. “He’s getting better and better, he’s developing. Now he might have to be ready to start,” the coach expected.
Maurits Kjaergaard wants to build on his performance in the CL qualifiers, the double goalscorer against Twente does not see the Upper Austrians as a bogey team. “What happened last season is no longer important. What is more important is that we are ready on Saturday. We definitely want to get the next win then,” said the 21-year-old Dane.
Blue-White believes in “small chance”
Linz are travelling to the former series champions after a successful start to the season. They picked up three points a week ago with a 1-0 win against Austria Vienna. “With the home win behind us, we are travelling to Salzburg with a very good feeling and believe in our small chance there too,” said coach Gerald Scheiblehner, who will not be able to play striker Joao Luiz (Achilles tendon) and defender Fabio Strauß (shoulder injury).
Like last year, Blau-Weiß wants to surprise Salzburg, but Scheiblehner sees the opponent under Lijnders on the up again. “The people in charge in Salzburg have managed to bring positive energy back into the club within a very short space of time. We have a huge challenge ahead of us.”
