Austria Vienna defeated Betar Jerusalem 2:1 in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League on 6 August. The visitors took the lead through Vasile Markovic just before half-time and sealed the result with a second goal from Stjepan Saljic in the second half. N. Muche had given Betar an early advantage, but Vienna's efficiency told.
By the time the eighteenth minute had passed, Betar were already looking comfortable. They had possession and were moving the ball with purpose, and here's the thing — they rarely looked like they might not score. Muche broke that assumption at the nineteen-minute mark, but Vienna had a way of tightening things up when they needed to. Markovic equalised before the interval, and then Vienna took control.
The visitors did not need much. They created six big chances compared to Betar's two, and when they struck, they struck accurately. Saljic's goal at sixty-nine minutes came after Vienna had weathered Betar's pressure. The hosts threw everything at them in the final third, but Vienna kept their shape and punished them from a moment of clarity.
Statistics tell part of the story. Betar held 69 per cent possession and completed 582 passes, but their shots on target yielded only one goal. Vienna managed five shots on target and converted two. Expected goals favoured Betar at 2.12 to 2.29, but the visitors were more clinical in the final third.
Vienna now move into the next round. Betar Jerusalem's recent form had suggested resilience — a 1:0 win over AEL Larnaca followed by a 2:2 draw with Hapoel Tel Aviv — but this result ends their European campaign. The visitors showed what they needed: patience, precision, and the ability to take what was offered.