Liveticker EM 2024
Unleashed Austrians inspire against Poland
Status: 20:00 | Reading time: 4 minutes
Austria celebrates victory against Poland and still has a chance to reach the round of 16
What: REUTERS
Austria wins against Poland and still has a chance to qualify for the round of 16. Ralf Rangnick’s team puts in a strong performance and earns the win with committed attacking football.
Even with super-sub Robert Lewandowski, Poland is facing a bitter exit in the preliminary round of the European Football Championship. Five days after their opening defeat against the Netherlands (1:2), Poland also lost their crucial second group match on Friday in Berlin against Austria, coached by Ralf Rangnick, 1:3 (1:1). Lewandowski, who came on after an hour and made a lightning comeback after recovering from a torn muscle, could not prevent the defeat.
Gernot Trauner put Austria in the lead in the 9th minute with the fastest goal scored by the Alpine Republic at the European Championships. Former Hertha player Krzysztof Piatek, who was allowed to play in the starting eleven instead of Lewandowski, equalized after half an hour at his old stomping ground. When Lewandowski was on the field, Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner (66th) and captain Marko Arnautovi? (78th, penalty) secured the Austrians’ victory.
At the end of the group match next Tuesday against vice world champions France, the Poles may not even need a win to advance. If France does not lose to the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday evening, they will be eliminated on Friday. The Austrians have the much better cards with three points on their account and the Netherlands as their last group opponent.
Lewandowski initially sits on the bench
70 minutes before kick-off, the somewhat surprising news leaked out that Lewandowski was not fit enough to start. The most recent statements from those in charge had suggested that the 35-year-old ex-Bayern player could start in the final European Championship test against Turkey eleven days after tearing a muscle fiber in his thigh.
For Austria’s coach Ralf Rangnick, this apparently did not change anything tactically. “We didn’t talk about it at all,” said the German coach on ARD shortly before kick-off. He wanted to stay true to his aggressive style of play despite the 0-1 defeat in the opening match against France: “Our best breaker is our counter-pressing.”
Lewandowski could hardly make an impact after his substitution
Source: dpa/Andreas Gora
And that’s exactly how Rangnick’s team started. The Austrians, led by record international player Marko Arnautovic, attacked the Poles aggressively in their half and followed up consistently when they took the lead. After a cross from the eye-catching Mainz player Phillipp Mwene, the defender Trauner headed the ball into the corner. Lewandowski looked worried on the bench and later whispered something in the assistant coach’s ear.
The 0:1 was a wake-up call for the Poles. They were now better able to free themselves from the constant pressure of their opponents and also had some notable chances. The equalizer by Piatek from close range was absolutely deserved. The attacker celebrated his goal with his pistol celebration, which he had shown far too rarely in the Hertha jersey at the Olympic Stadium. Lewandowski also celebrated on the sidelines.
Austria turns up the heat in the second half
The Austrians, who had been so dominant at the start, suddenly became unsettled. There was a wealth of experience on the pitch, with an average age of 28 years and 217 days, according to data provider Opta, Austria’s oldest starting lineup in a European Championship finals match. Marcel Sabitzer did make a few more impressions at the end of the first half. But Poland had a great chance to take the lead with a free kick from substitute captain Piotr Zielinski, which ÖFB goalkeeper Patrick Pentz saved.
Marko Arnautovic celebrates his penalty goal
Source: AP/Petr Josek
Rangnick reacted and brought on Patrick Wimmer from Wolfsburg, a more offensive midfielder, for Florian Grillitsch from TSG Hoffenheim. But initially there was little attacking action on either side. In addition, goalscorer Trauner had to leave the field in the 59th minute due to injury.
The substitution of superstar Lewandowski caused huge cheers among the approximately 35,000 Polish fans. In one of his first actions, the captain received a yellow card for using his elbow in an aerial challenge with Freiburg’s Philipp Lienhart.
But things got even worse for the former Munich player. After Baumgartner fell behind again, the Poles increased the pressure and looked for their top star, especially with long balls. The decision in Austria’s favor came after an early ball win and a foul by Poland’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on Sabitzer in the penalty area.
