Red Bull Salzburg 2-0 Malmo FF, Wednesday 29th July 2015

Red Bull Salzburg 2-0 Malmo FF (Champions League 3rd qualifying round, 1st leg) att. 15,027

It might seem a waste to go all the way to Salzburg, the home of Mozart and Mozartkugeln but I've been before and I might be here again next week.  Spending 5 hours on a train isn't normally something I'd recommend, but when your journey covers half of Switzerland and Austria, I make exception.  I wouldn't say there were lots of great views, it was one continuous great view.  Do it.

The stadium was, like Berne, easy to find and easy to reach by public transport.  Any amount of trains go to the ‘Taxham Europark’ and the stadium is the other side of the shopping centre you see before you.  A (Spar?) supermarket inside will happily sell you some cheap beer for the pre match, or there's a bar in the shopping centre.

The Red Bull Arena is maybe another 10 minutes walk, pleasant enough, pedestrianised.  Then the stadium comes before you, atop a small hill.  Unlike the Wankdorf, they’ve actually made an effort here.  In particular, I like the entrance towers, which lead to the upper tier (most of them closed today though).

Despite arriving in good time (an hour before), queues for tickets were horrific.  A couple of lads in front of me were advised to try a different kiosk so I followed them - and stood in a slow moving queue for half an hour.  At the front, the problems became more apparent; 4 tills but only 2 open and the computers used to print tickets were slow.  I bet quite a few missed kick off.

I went for the cheapest - €19 in the Sudkurve.  The assistant was most surprised - everyone else was going in the Nordkurve, their ultras end, but it was a whole euro cheaper.  (I'm still geared to thinking a euro is worth nearly £1 rather than the 60 odd pence it’s currently is valued). Miserly to the last… Mind, I  also overheard two lads behind me as I ordered: ‘Englander’  ‘Respekt!’  I swear I didn't imagine this.

The Sudkurve was relatively empty save for 1500 Malmo in one corner.  I say 1500, who knows? But it looked pretty full and it was a fairly small corner.  They were in great voice and why not?  If you weren't expected to be in Euro competition long, Salzburg is as good an away trip as you can get (except the two sides only played a couple of years ago, Malmo winning on aggregate).

Other than the goals my highlight was a Malmo sub coming on called ‘Harvard’ (Neilson).  Does he have siblings? Are they similarly named?  Yale...Colombia...Teesside?

I did wonder who might be the favourites in this tie and looking at this match as a whole, Red Bull looked far better and fully deserved their 2-0, the second, secured late on and possibly proving terminal for Malmo’s European chances.  (Note: it didn’t; Malmo won the 2nd leg 3-0).

Oh and Red Bull were another side promising ‘We Will Rock You’.  Queen appear more popular the longer Freddie Mercury has been dead.
The goals?  I can’t remember.  ‘Forgettable’, then. ***forgot my camera, so took pics on my phone, which has since been superceded. Now, how do I get the pics off my old phone...?

The Damage:
€19 ent (£14)
The Tunes:
Foggy Mountain Jamboree - Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs
Boomania - Betty Boo
Kitchen - Sun Electric Do You Like Rock Music? - British Sea Power
Plumb - Field Music
The Back Room - Editors
Snap, Crackle and Bop - John Cooper Clarke
Geogaddi - Boards of Canada