He made three top saves in the return leg to keep his side in the tie. But while the Black & Yellows kept a clean sheet for the first time in Europe this term, they failed to find the back of the net for the first time too.

"We didn't deserve to win this match, because Salzburg put more into the game, had the better opportunities and showed the better mentality on the pitch," said Roman Bürki as he reflected upon the goalless draw. The Swiss shot-stopper continued his critical tone: "A decisive factor was who wanted it more." And: "We only played long balls forward because it wasn't possible on this surface to put together neat build-up play."

Having been knocked out of the Europa League, attentions will now be turned to guaranteeing a European berth for next season. It would be the ninth in a row and the objective remains the UEFA Champions League. A home victory over Hannover 96 on Sunday (kick-off 13:30 CET) would allow the Black & Yellows to consolidate their position ahead of the critical fixtures after the international break. It is a period in which they will face Bayern Munich (A), VfB Stuttgart (H), Schalke (A) and Bayer Leverkusen (H) in four successive games.

Which is why Roman Bürki declared the following after elimination in Salzburg: "Today we need to get frustrated, tomorrow we need to scrutinize what we did wrong, and then we must fully turn our focus to the Bundesliga. We want to improve our performance on Sunday to cement our position near the top. It is a very important match."
Boris Rupert