The Austrian champions outlasted their sister club in Germany, as the two faced off in the Group B Europa League a match in Germany, some 20 years in the making.
RB Leipzig plateaued somewhat last season having been Bayern Munich’s biggest challengers in 2016-17, and are now very much in stasis under the temporary guidance of sporting director Ralf Rangnick, as they await the arrival of wunderkind coach Julian Nagelsmann next summer.
The Austrian champions meanwhile entered the Europa League with a point to prove after being stunned by Red Star Belgrade in their Champions League playoff encounter; 2-0 up and cruising, the Serbian side had barely mustered a shot on goal before scoring twice in a minute in Salzburg last month, knocking them out of Europe’s premier club competition.
Now, face to face, it was the club formerly known as Austria Salzburg – and called FC Salzburg in European competition – who started the brighter and took a deserved two-goal lead.
On both occasions they were helped by dismal defending from the home side, but striker Munas Dabbur and midfielder Amadou Haidara – the next Naby Keita if you’re into that sort of thing – handing them a commanding lead.
They looked comfortable as the game entered its last quarter, only for a defensive mistake of their own, from Andreas Ulmer, allowing Konrad Laimer – one of those who joined Leipzig from Salzburg – to reduce the arrears on 70 minutes.
And 12 minutes later, Danish international Yussuf Poulsen, who has been with RBL since their time in Germany’s third tier, headed home an equaliser.
It wasn’t quite the Anschluss of Dijon, but it had the feeling that it was the perfect ending for all involved.
And in the 89th minute, Fredrik Gulbrandsen went clear for the away side and coolly slotted into the bottom corner to hand Salzburg victory, clearing out the away bench as head coach Marco Rose led jubilant celebrations on the touchline.
Last year’s semi-finalists took the three points, getting their latest Europa League adventure up and running in the best possible manner.