Zambian striker Patson Daka was a second half substitute for Austrian Bundesliga giants Redbull Salzburg who humiliated Belgian outfit KRC Genk 6-2 in a Group E UEFA Champions League encounter at the Redbull Arena in Wals-Siezenheim.
The 2017 CAF young player of the year came on in the 72nd minute to replace Norwegian teenage sensation Erling Braut Haaland. Daka could have scored but his weak shot in the 18 yard area went straight at the Genk goalkeeper.
Zambian midfield ace Enock Mwepu was an unused substitute.
THE MATCH
Norwegian teenager, Erling Haaland did not waste any time in announcing his arrival on the big stage as he put Salzburg in the lead just two minutes into his UEFA Champions League debut, slotting home from close range after receiving a well-timed pass from Takumi Minamino.
⏰ HALF-TIME ⏰
😮 Debutant Erling Braut Håland becomes the 3rd youngest player ever to score a hat-trick in this competition 👏
🤔 Who's scoring next tonight?
Follow LIVE 👇👇👇#UCL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 17, 2019
The 19-year-old made it two-nil in the 34th minute after Hwang Hee-Chan did well to fight off a defender and set the ball into the path of Haaland. Hwang turned finisher two minutes later making it 3-0. Lacumí Janer Bonilla pulled one back for Genk in the 40th minute to reduce the deficit.
Haaland however restored the hosts lead as he made it 4-1 in the 45th minute to complete his hatrick becoming the third-youngest player to do so and only the eighth debutant to manage the feat.
🔥 Hat-trick hero! Erling Braut Håland becomes the 8th player to score a treble on his #UCL debut ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/A0ZVqNRuWX
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 17, 2019
Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai increased the lead in additional of the first half as he finished off a beautiful Takumi Minamino cross. Tanzanian striker Mbwana Samatta pulled another goal back for Genk seven minutes into the second half but Captain Andreas Ulmer restored the four goal lead in the 66th minute to hand Salzburg a fantastic start to their UEFA Champions League group stage campaign.
Salzburg will face defending Champions, Liverpool who were handed a two nil shock defeat away in Italy at the hands of Napoli in their second game on October 2nd.
Redbull Salzburg 6-2 KRC Genk
(Haaland 2′ 34′,45′, Szoboszlai 46+2′, Hwang 36′ , Ulmer 66’| Lucimi 40′ , Samatta 52′)
Redbull Salzburg starting line up: C.Stankovic, M.Wöber,A. Ramalho, R. Kristensen (P.Farkas 84′), Z.Junuzovic, A. Bernede, D.Szoboszlai (M.Tokugawa 62′), T.Minamino, H. Hwang, E. Haaland (P. Daka 72′).
Top Scorers Austrian league Patson Daka 7 games 4 goals at number 6
RK NAME TEAM P G
1 Erling Haland FC Salzburg 7 11
2 Shon Weissman Wolfsberger 7 8
3 Dario Tadic TSV Hartberg 6 7
4 Christoph Monschein Austria Vienna 7 6
5 Dogbole Niangbo Wolfsberger 7 5
6 Mergim Berisha SC Rheindorf Altach 7 4
Taxiarchis Fountas Rapid Vienna 7 4
Hwang Hee-Chan FC Salzburg 6 4
Patson Daka FC Salzburg 6 4
Zlatko Dedic WSG Swarovski Wattens 6 4
(Erling Haland FC Salzburg)This chap from Norway is a striker who has a nose for goals. He is only 19. Big guy
Champions League 2019-20 1 game 3 goals
Austrian Bundesliga
2019-20 7 games 11 goals
ÖFB-Cup
2019-20 1 game 3 goals
So far 17 goals in all competitions this season
Patson has to pull up his socks. The competition for the 2 positions up front is tough as the other striker Hwang Hee-chan has scored the same number of goals as Patson in the league. Competition will help Patson improve. I LOVE THIS.
That is true. He will certainly need to pull up his socks otherwise he will find himself sitting third or fourth in the pecking order. But I believe in this youngster Patson, the way he kept his head high when a whole bunch of Zambians were busy calling him planga he just stood tall and look at him now.
This team is very young though and truth be told Napoli and Liverpool will make short work of them but if he can at least get two or three goals in these group stages it will raise his profile. Seeing that the American coach believes in rotation we might just see both our boys playing in the next game.
Don’t slow down. Apa kupenako panono.
Am seeing reduced play time for Sale being an African if he won’t pull up his socks, truly!
Watched the game the Norwegian is deadly at goal. He has taken over the main Striker role after RB Salzburh sold their top man Moannes Dabbur to Sevilla in Spain. Dabbur was hitting goal after goal for the RBS before he was sold.
One thing i like about Patson he never lacks confidence. Even when he came in the game on Wednesday you could see the confidence though i agree with the pundits here he needs to take his chances when given an opportunity.
I really like the two boys Patson and Mwepu as well as Fashion Sakala. I see these 3 as the key players in our main National Team, just like we had Kalusha and Charles Musonda at some point. Fashion seems to be getting full 90 minutes, in the last 2 games and this is very good for us. There is no doubt Patson, Fashion and Mwepu have exceptional talent, above all the others in our National team
I really want things to work out for the lads, as I always remind myself of Mayuka, Emmanuel Zulu and Fwayo Tembo failures. These 3 were great talents that went to waste and it worries me because such talents come about once in a blue moon