Salzburg surge past Omonia
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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FC Salzburg 4-1 AC Omonia (agg: 5-2)
Huub Stevens's team scored three times before the break en route to a comprehensive defeat of their Cypriot visitors.
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Franz Schiemer scored twice as FC Salzburg qualified for the UEFA Champions League play-offs courtesy of a 5-2 aggregate success against AC Omonia.
Having drawn the first leg 1-1 a week earlier, Salzburg effectively killed the tie before the break with a strike from Dušan Švento and two Schiemer efforts. Joaquin Boghossian increased the hosts' advantage just before the hour, with Hernán Rengifo's added-time reply proving nothing more than consolation for the Cypriot outfit.
Drafted in at the 11th hour after Andreas Ulmer suffered an injury in the warm up, Švento made the most of his unexpected opportunity in the 21st minute by firing Salzburg ahead from 25 metres. A little over a quarter of an hour later Schiemer headed in the Austrian champions' second, and was celebrating again five minutes before half-time, this time after volleying Christoph Leitgeb's left-wing cross past Antonis Georgallides
The towering Boghossian made his height tell on 58 minutes with Salzburg's second header of the match as Huub Stevens' side moved within one of the five goals they scored at home in the previous round against HB Tórshavn. Rengifo did at least ensure Omonia had something to take away in what was otherwise a dispiriting evening, capitalising on a loose ball after Efstathios Aloneftis's corner had caused confusion in the Salzburg area.