Bundesliga: Daka Festival in a top duel against Rapid

Series champion Salzburg extended their table lead to six points on the second-placed Hütteldorfer.  The  22-year-old striker Daka took over the top scorer list from his colleague Sekou Koita (14), who was banned for three months for doping, with his triple pack and now 16 goals this season. Salzburg could also look forward to a successful dress rehearsal before the second leg at Villarreal in the round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, where a 2-0 deficit has to be made up.

Coach Jesse Marsch’s team also made a clear statement in the title fight. Rapid, who wanted to “unleash new strength” with a success, suffered the first defeat after six games and must hope for the second phase of the season after sharing points four laps away. With its victory at Flyeralarm Admira Grün-Weiß, LASK also came close to one point again.

Rapid did without Srdjan Grahovac for the second time this season, while captain Dejan Ljubicic made his comeback after an injury break – in the middle of the back three. And Taxiarchis Fountas was back in the starting XI for the first time since his suspension. Salzburg, which missed Koita and Mohamed Camara, who were banned for doping for the first time in the league, also had to change at short notice. Noah Okafor injured his adductors while warming up. Brenden Aaronson ran up in his place.

Salzburg dominates the initial phase

 The  young American also initiated the first good chance, as a result of which goalie Richard Strebinger had to intervene after a deflected header from Rasmus Kristensen (2nd). A little later, the green and white goalkeeper saved against Berisha (7th), the assist had come again from Aaronson. Aggressive Salzburg dominated the opening phase with almost 75 percent possession of the ball, before Rapid reported for the game from the 20th minute.

A header from Ercan Kara after a free kick (20th) and a direct acceptance by Maximilian Ullmann (25th) caused a bit of danger before there was a bit of surprise cheering: After a nice preparatory work by Marcel Ritzmaier, Fountas had scored to 1-0. But referee Alexander Harkam recognized that it was a razor-thin decision (28th) after studying in slow motion. Salzburg, on the other hand, made nails, Daka with his 14th goal of the season struck after Aaronson’s and Berisha’s preliminary work from a short distance.

Home side show more initiative

 The  game was now at eye level, but saw more proactive hosts who found further opportunities through Enock Mwepu (38th / Strebinger) and Daka (Heber next to the goal / 40th and Strebinger / 43rd). Kühbauer reacted during the break by taking in Grahovac for Fountas, but now the dominance came exclusively from the “bulls”.

Berisha knocked on the crossbar (47th), Strebinger finally had to intervene again against Mwepu (58th) and Vallci (60th). Rapid could no longer provide relief and finally gave up the game completely. Both times Berisha appeared again as a preparer, and in stoppage time he served the substitute Adeyemi exemplary.

Tipico Bundesliga, 18th round:

Sunday:

Salzburg – Rapid 4:2 (1:0)

Wals-Siezenheim, Red Bull Arena, SR Harkam

Goal sequence:
1:0 Daka (30.)
2:0 Daka (64.)
3:0 Daka (70.)
3:1 Schuster (91.)
4:1 Adeyemi (92.)
4: 2 Kara (94.)

Salzburg: Stankovic – Kristensen (77th/Farkas), Ramalho, Vallci, Ulmer (78./Solet) – Mwepu (73./Seiwald), Bernede, Junuzovic (73./Sucic), Aaronson – Berisha, Daka (73./Adeyemi )

Rapid: Strebinger – Stojkovic, D. Ljubicic (76./Greiml), Barac – Schick (76./Arase), Ritzmaier (75./Schuster), Petrovic, Ullmann – Fountas (46./Grahovac), Knasmüllner (70./Demir ) – Kara

Yellow cards: Daka or Kühbauer (trainer), Petrovic

 The  Best: Daka, Aaronson, Berisha, Mwepu resp. Strebinger