"Showed Character": Salzburg Relieved After Comeback in Cyprus

Haris Tabakovic almost single-handedly secured the Europa League playoff for FC Salzburg!

Against Pafos, the new signing scored all four goals. In the first leg, he secured a narrow 1-0 victory for his team in Salzburg, before a spectacular 3-3 followed away from home (to the match report >>>).

Thus, the Salzburgers are in the Europa League playoff. There, they will face Swedish champions Mjällby AIF.

Veratschnig: "We stopped playing football"

After the duel, however, the striker showed modesty: "As a striker, it's about scoring goals. I'm just happy. We knew the game wouldn't be easy, which was evident in the first half when we were 0-2 down."

After a good start, the "Bulls" lost their rhythm and conceded goals from Lele (15th) with a header and Gabriel (37th) after a free-kick. New signing and captain Nikolas Veratschnig takes responsibility for the second goal and explained in a Servus-TV interview: "We weren't playing football anymore."

The fans and the climate also caused problems for the team.

Adjustment After the Break

At halftime, the Cypriots would have been through to the next round with a 2-1 lead. That had to be prevented. Not only did the substitution of Edmund Baidoo bring momentum, but tactical changes were also made, as the hat-trick scorer reported: "We showed character, made some adjustments at halftime, and then everything tactically fell into place."

Before that, they had no control, with Pafos repeatedly combining through on the flanks. "We changed something a bit regarding the pressing," added the striker.

He scored the goals within 16 minutes (54th, 58th, 70th). They were more dominant and scored at the right time. After a handball, the 2-2 equalizer came from a penalty. Pafos player David Luiz disagreed with this decision. The penalty was "lucky," he reported after the game.

The Cypriots kept Salzburg on edge until the very end. In the 84th minute, Murad Mammadov brought his team back into the game with the 3-3. Ultimately, a draw was enough for the visitors. With an aggregate score of 4-3, they are in the Europa League playoff.

"Nasty" Game Awaits in Playoff Against Mjällby

Veratschnig expects another "nasty" game against Mjällby AIF. According to Tabakovic, there are no bad clubs at this level anymore.

Against the Swedish champions, among other things, the effectiveness of the hat-trick scorer will be crucial. Against Pafos, according to the captain, he certainly "did his job properly."

The first leg will take place next Thursday in Sweden, before the return leg in Salzburg on August 27th. One thing is certain: Salzburg is internationally represented this season, regardless of the outcome.