I would be willing to bet my life’s savings that Red Bull Salzburg won’t win this season’s Champions League. I’d go as far as to wager a dollar to every person that reads this that Jesse Marsch’s side won’t advance to the Round of 16. Please contact me with your Venmo information if Salzburg surprises me.
The frank reality is that Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich possess far superior weaponry in every position. The most commonly seen strategy to try to beat Europe’s goliaths for the Davids of the continent is to park the bus and pray for a counterattack.
This isn’t the case for Marsch and the Austrian champions. RB Salzburg has taken the game to all of its opposition in Group A of the Champions League. An exciting 2-2 draw with Lokomotiv Moscow in the opening game was followed up with an even more exhilarating 3-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid.
Salzburg’s latest goal-frenzy game was a 6-2 defeat against the defending champions. No, the score line doesn't reflect the story of the game.
Marsch and company put the pressure on Bayern early, finding the back of the net less than four minutes into the match.
“And the Champions of Austria are ahead of the Champions of Europe!”
Mergim Berisha puts @FCRBS_en on the board and in the lead pic.twitter.com/m9WCxpCPB4— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
Salzburg enjoyed nearly 17 minutes in wonderland before the harsh, cruel world came crashing back down in the form of Robert Lewandowski notching his first goal in the competition this season.
It had to be him!
Robert Lewandowski finds the equalizer from the penalty spot pic.twitter.com/C3UswQSYLV— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
The Salzburg tears were masked among the endless downpour of Austrian rain in the 44th minute when some lovely play from Bayern ended in a heart-wrenching own goal.
Well it may have been an own goal but @FCBayernUS have taken the lead pic.twitter.com/QHkmTBXvDx
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
The underdogs refused to go quietly into the night. Due to Marsch’s style of backing down to no one but the soccer gods themselves, the second half was filled with end-to-end play that had every neutral salivating like a Pavlovian dog. The breakthrough finally came courtesy of Marsch’s Japanese super sub Masaya Okugawa.
Masaya Okugawa comes off the bench and finds the back of the net?! @FCRBS_en level pic.twitter.com/CdJxO9Poh3
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
Would the little Red Bulls that could put an end to Bayern’s unprecedented 13-game Champions League win streak? Surely it couldn’t be RB Salzburg of all teams to halt the titans of European football. Well as a fictional purple titan once said, “reality is often disappointing.”
A flurry of Bayern goals in the final 11 minutes created a score line that didn’t reflect the storyline of the game in the slightest.
Leroy Sane — who’s $56 million transfer fee is worth nearly a third of all of the Salzburg players transfer values combined — came on as a substitute in the 75th minute and scored eight minutes later to make it 4-2.
Oh my, Leroy Sané pic.twitter.com/iXsqs028BX
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
Lucas Hernandez got one last sucker-punch in on the Austrian side to make it 6-2 in the 92nd minute.
Was there ever a doubt?! Lucas Hernández take a bow @FCBayernUS win it 6-2! pic.twitter.com/TOybOogC3g
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
The Salzburg tears were well and truly flowing. Marsch’s side now sits firmly in the basement of Group A.
The club may be last in the group, but are first in entertainment in my mind. There have been a combined total of 17 goals in games featuring RB Salzburg, which is more than any other team in the competition.
If goals and entertainment are what you seek, then I highly recommend tuning into Salzburg’s rematch against Bayern on Nov. 25.
