Red Bull Salzburg loses test match against Basaksehir 1:2 and also suffers defeat against Gamba Osaka on double matchday

In the evening, Salzburg faced Basaksehir Istanbul, the Turkish champion of the year, in Nonntal. The visitors took the lead in the first half. After the break, Adam Daghim equalized in the 54th minute to make it 1:1, but Basaksehir managed to turn the game back in their favor and ultimately won 2:1.

Other Austrian clubs in test action

Despite the two defeats, the club's surroundings stressed that these are tests in which results are secondary. More important is that Danny Röhl's side gathers match practice and that the automated patterns begin to click. Daghim's goal against Basaksehir was a positive sign for the team's offensive firepower.

Alongside Salzburg, other Austrian clubs were also in action on Wednesday. SK Rapid Wien hosted Panathinaikos Athens at the Allianz Stadium and won convincingly 4:1. Tilio (14'), Adamsen (37'), Haidara (43') and Schaub (88') scored for the Hütteldorf side, who thus got their test match campaign off to a successful start.

Workload management as the program

Sturm Graz were also active. The Graz side overcame Pogon Stettin 1:0 in Leoben. Kayombo scored the goal of the day in the 117th minute. The match was played over two 60-minute halves.

In Bregenz, SW Bregenz and Austria Lustenau drew 1:1. Maksimovic equalized in the 89th minute for Bregenz, securing the Vorarlbergliga promoted side a respectable result against the higher-division club from the Ländle.

Outlook on the rest of preparation

For Salzburg, preparation continues in the coming weeks with further tests and training camps before competitive action gets underway. After Wednesday's two defeats, head coach Danny Röhl has additional opportunity to work on his side's coordination and fitness.

The workload management in the schedule is striking: while the match against Gamba Osaka was deliberately arranged over three short periods of 30 minutes each in order to give every player game time, the fixture against Basaksehir went the regulation 90 minutes. The home defeat against the Turkish title holder makes clear that, above all, there is still coordination work to be done defensively.

Looking ahead to the upcoming tasks, Salzburg must find the right balance between workload and recovery. Wednesday's results should be seen as a wake-up call, without losing sight of the long-term goals for the season.