Salzburg cruised past Genk 4-1 on Wednesday to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Jesse Marsch s side did not hit the heights of the 6-2 thumping of their Belgian opponents in September but they scarcely needed to get out of second gear against Hannes Wolf s limited outfit.
Patson Daka – who had earlier missed a glaring opportunity – put the Austrian side ahead after 43 minutes before Takumi Minamino doubled their advantage just 98 seconds later.
The impressive Hwang Hee-chan added a third in the second half before Mbwana Samatta headed in a consolation five minutes from time.
Erling Haaland added a final flourish for Salzburg, though, to ensure they go into their clash with Liverpool on December 10 knowing they will qualify for the knockout stages if they beat Jurgen Klopp s side.
Full-time! Three huge points are ours with another thrilling performance! 1-4
— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en)
Daka was guilty of a glaring miss 10 minutes before the interval, blazing over from eight yards after being teed up by Hwang s clever backheel.
He made up for that two minutes before the interval, though, by bundling home after Gaetan Coucke had failed to hold onto Dominik Szoboszlai s half-volley from long range.
The hosts misery was compounded just two minutes later when Minamino lashed home from 15 yards after being picked out inside the penalty area by Enock Mwepu.
Genk came agonisingly close to reducing the deficit shortly after the hour mark but Sebastien Dewaest s header from a corner crashed back off Carlos right-hand post.
Any hopes of a grandstand finale were extinguished in the 69th minute when Hwang slotted home from substitute Haaland s low cross.
Haaland bizarrely had a goal ruled out for a perceived foul before Samatta nodded in from close range after Carlos had failed to hold a tame shot from distance.
Teenage Norwegian Haaland did get on the scoresheet to keep up his record of scoring in every Champions League game this season three minutes from time, with Salzburg s attention now turning to that clash with the Premier League leaders in two weeks.
What does it mean? Salzburg take it to the final matchday
It is testament to the job that Marsch has done at Salzburg that his side will take on Liverpool in two weeks knowing a win will see them progress to the last 16.
If that happens and Napoli beat Genk – which would be expected after this woeful display from the Belgian side – then th
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e reigning champions would be knocked out.
Haaland belatedly makes his mark
Haaland was a surprise absence from the starting XI and he certainly made up for lost time after his introduction. He created a goal, had one disallowed and then struck late on to become just the third player to score in his first five Champions League appearances, joining Alessandro Del Piero and Diego Costa in that illustrious group.
Just Erling being Erling
— FC Red Bull Salzburg (@RedBullSalzburg)
Coucke gift wraps opener for Salzburg
Genk s capitulation before the interval was kick-started by some woeful goalkeeping from Coucke. Szoboszlai s shot should have been gathered with the minimum of fuss but the Genk goalkeeper fumbled it right into the path of Daka, who could scarcely believe his luck.
Key Opta Facts
Salzburg have scored 16 goals in the Champions League this season; the most goals by an Austrian side in a single campaign in the competition. Before Salzburg, Sturm Graz held this record with 13 goals in 2000-01.
Genk are winless in their last 17 Champions League matches (W0 D8 L9). It is the joint-fourth longest winless run in the competition’s history and the longest since December 2017 (Maribor – 17 matches).
Haaland became the first teenager in the history of the European Cup/Champions League to score in five consecutive appearances in the competition.
He is one of two players this season to score in each of the five matchdays so far in the Champions League this season (along with Robert Lewandowski).
Daka is the first player from Zambia to score a goal in the Champions League, the 103rd nation to provide a goalscorer in the competition.
What s next?
Genk are in domestic action on Saturday against Sint-Truiden before concluding their Champions League campaign against Napoli on December 10. Salzburg, meanwhile, face Admira in the Bundesliga on Sunday before that crunch clash with Liverpool in a fortnight.
