In the first leg, after ending the first half 1-0 down, Salzburg came crashing down like a hurricane on Brann, inflicting a traumatic 4-1 defeat on the Norwegians. This result effectively condemns the Scandinavians to elimination: the Austrians need only avoid losing by more than two goals in the return leg at home to secure their place in the third qualifying round.
The Red and Whites came out firing in the second half, with Thomas Letsch’s substitutions proving decisive: it was no coincidence that three of the goalscorers were substitutes (Onisiwo, Vertessen, and Kjaergaard), a tangible sign that the coach was able to turn around a game that initially seemed doomed for his side.
There was no luck for Brann, who, apart from the first half, failed to keep the Biancorossi attack at bay, revealing some of the difficulties in possession that had characterized the first part of the season. Despite occupying third place in the Eliteserien standings, Freyr Alexandersson’s men have to contend with the most beaten defense (along with Viking’s) among the top nine. Brann had the weekend off to focus solely on the challenge in Salzburg: their last away win came at the end of May, a statistic that does not inspire much confidence ahead of Wednesday’s match.
Odds comparison
The “Over 2.5” bet is priced at 1.40 on Goldbet, Lottomatica, and Snai. The “Goal” bet is priced at 1.65 on Goldbet and Lottomatica and at 1.60 on Snai.
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Prediction
For Salzburg, this match is nothing more than a formality: qualification is already in the bag and it would not be a surprise if the coach made a few changes ahead of the league opener. As in the first leg, we predict more than two goals in total and at least one for each side.
Probable line-ups for Salzburg-Brann
SALZBURG (4-2-3-1): Michael; Bruno, Luckassen, Goldar, Bruno Langa; Pepe, Sunjic; Correia, Dragomir, Orsic; Anderson Silva.
BRANN (4-2-3-1): Gerafi; Asante, Shlomo, Stojic, Revivo; Sissokho, Shahar; Davida, Peretz, Patati; Turgeman.