Europa League started in style thanks to Tabakovic

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FC Red Bull Salzburg

·17 September 2026

Europa League started in style thanks to Tabakovic

1-0 away win at Levski Sofia

The UEFA Europa League league phase opener against Levski Sofia turned out to be the hard-fought contest we expected. Ultimately, alongside a spirited defensive performance from our lads, Haris Tabakovic’s scoring instinct made the difference, securing us three points to kick off the campaign!

Match summary

23' – a long wait before the first big chance

The opening minutes amid the formidable atmosphere in Sofia were evenly matched. Both teams largely cancelled each other out until a misplaced pass by the hosts suddenly created danger. The ball fell straight to Haris Tabakovic, who unleashed a powerful shot on goal. However, Levski goalkeeper Vutsov produced a superb reaction save to stop the evening's first major opportunity.

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39' – the breakthrough!

For a long time, the teams were evenly matched, but as the first half progressed, we increasingly took control. This paid off shortly before the break as a delicate chip from Bartosz Mazurek over the defence found Dominik Schmid, who cleverly cut the ball back. Levski captain Dimitrov inadvertently helped us along, and the ball landed at Tabakovic’s feet. Our striker didn't pass up the chance, poking the ball over the line from close range.

The hosts sought an immediate response, but a strong defensive intervention by Kevin Boma (40') ensured our well-deserved half-time lead remained intact.

49' to 62' – careless and then under pressure

The second half got off to a dream start. Levski keeper Vutsov made a costly error while playing out from the back, passing the ball straight to Sota Kitano. Our Japanese player drove forward a few yards but failed to capitalise fully on the promising situation (49'). Subsequently, the momentum of the match shifted slightly in favor of the hosts. Levski enjoyed more possession, increasingly pinned us back in our own half, and threatened our goal on several occasions. Our lads had to stand firm - picking up a few yellow cards in the process - and breathed a huge sigh of relief following a brilliant save by Christian Zawieschitzky (62').

80' – lively final phase

After weathering the Bulgarians' most intense spell of pressure, we regained control of the match. Up front, Schmid caused trouble with a tricky free-kick from the flank, but Vutsov was equal to it once again. The Bulgarians tried to summon their last reserves of energy, but we secured the perfect start, kicking off the UEFA Europa League's league phase with three points!

Views

It was the tough match we expected. We had spells - especially shortly after the break - where we really should have scored a second goal to settle things down. Instead, the opposition gained momentum in that atmosphere - it was fun playing here. My lads did an outstanding job - they were tactically disciplined, pressing high at times while also dropping deeper when necessary. When you don't concede a single shot on target, that speaks volumes about the defence. It’s not easy to come here and get a result. A 1–0 away win in Europe - that’s worth a lot!

Danny Röhl

We flew here expecting to put in a good performance, so naturally, we’re delighted now! Today we faced opponents that were very good in possession and pinned us back for about 30 minutes - helped by the fans and the atmosphere in the stadium. We defended really well - we took a step in the right direction there today. These three points can provide a huge boost, and we’re heading back to Salzburg feeling great.

Nikolas Veratschnig

Match summary

Line-ups & substitutions Levski Sofia: Vutsov – Dimitrov ©, Makoun (88. Mitkov), Maicon – Neves, Serginho, Trdin, Centelles (58. Kusso) – Reinaldo (76. Perea), Oko-Flex (76. Soula) – Everton Bala (88. Stoyanchov) FC Salzburg: Zawieschitzky – Veratschnig ©, Boma, Drexler, Schmid – Barry, Mazurek – Baidoo (89. Krätzig), Kitano (63. Redzic), Vertessen (69. Konate) – Tabakovic

Goal: Tabakovic (39') Attendance: TBC Referee: Mohammad Al-Emara (FIN) Yellow cards: Centelles (55./Foul) - Kitano (41./Foul), Tabakovic (56./Unsporting behaviour), Mazurek (60./Foul), Vertessen (64./Foul), Barry (90.+3/Dissent)

Injury news

Soumaila Diabate (thigh) and Johannes Moser (adductors) were unavailable.
Gaoussou Diakite returned to team training this week, but he did not yet make the matchday squad.
Valentin Zabransky was out due to injury.