Following a brief stopover in Salzburg after their recent away trip, Red Bull Salzburg are set to play their next competitive fixture this Saturday, July 26, in the first round of the UNIQA ÖFB Cup. The match against Union PROCON Dietach will kick off at 18:00 at the DietachArena.
Their opponents, the reigning champions of the LT1 OÖ-Liga, recently earned promotion to the Regionalliga Mitte. Anticipation for the cup tie in Upper Austria is high, with the away section for Salzburg supporters already sold out, promising a festive atmosphere.
Salzburg aims to continue its dominant record in the opening round of the cup, having secured 6-0 victories in each of the last two seasons. The last goal they conceded in a first-round match was during a 4-1 win against Hertha Wels in 2021. The team is keen to build on the momentum from their recent UEFA Champions League qualifier against SK Brann, particularly with the home leg on the horizon. For those unable to attend, the match will be available via a free livestream on ÖFB TV.
The team acknowledges the unique challenges of the fixture, including playing on an unfamiliar artificial turf surface. They face a Dietach side buoyed by their recent promotion and noted for a defensively stable setup that conceded very few goals last season. While accepting their role as favorites, Salzburg is prepared for a difficult cup tie, emphasizing the need for patience and relentless pressure if an early goal does not materialize.
Several players will be unavailable for the match due to injury: Takumu Kawamura (knee), Karim Konate (knee), Valentin Sulzbacher (thigh), Moussa Yeo (knee), and Christian Zawieschitzky (calf).
The winner of the tie will discover their opponent for the second round of the UNIQA ÖFB Cup during the draw on Sunday, July 27.
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