Europa: Salzburg stun Lazio
BIG ACHIEVEMENT Become the first Austrian side to reach European semis since 1996; Arsenal too enter lastfour
LONDON: Salzburg forced Lazio into a second-half capitulation as the Italians crashed out in the Europa quarter-finals after losing 4-1 but Olympique de Marseille staged a thrilling fightback to see off visitors Leipzig 5-2.
Arsenal also reached the semifinals after recovering from a wobble to draw 2-2 at CSKA Moscow and progress 6-3 on aggregate, while favourites Atletico Madrid reached the last four after losing 1-0 at Sporting to go through 2-1 over the two legs.
Lazio, who are third in Serie A, led 4-2 from the first leg in Rome and increased their advantage when Ciro Immobile scored his eighth goal in this season’s competition in the 55th minute but Salzburg equalised a minute later through Munas Dabbur.
With 19 minutes remaining Lazio still led 5-3 on aggregate but Salzburg scored three times in five minutes through Amadou Haidara, Hee Chan-hwang and Stefan Lainer to claim a 6-5 aggregate victory. They are the first Austrian side to reach a European semis since 1996 and are now unbeaten in 25 home games in all competitions this season.
Former European champions Marseille found themselves 2-0 down on aggregate inside two minutes when Leipzig’s Bruma silenced the home crowd but they recovered to secure a 5-3 aggregate win. Stefan Ilsanker’s own goal put Marseille level on the night and the French club were ahead inside 10 minutes when a lighting counter-attack ended with Bouna Sarr firing home.
Marseille edged ahead in the tie for the first time when inspirational captain Dimitri Payet’s whipped free kick was stabbed home by Florian Thauvin before halftime. Jean-Kevin Augustin’s superb curled finish turned the tie in Leipzig’s favour again in the 55th minute but Payet’s magical shot into the top corner with the outside of his right foot on the hour sent the home fans in the 60,000 sell-out crowd wild.
Leipzig poured forward looking for the decisive away goal but Marseille’s Hiroki Sakai broke clear in stoppage time to wrap up the victory, firing into an empty net.