In a thrilling European Championship match in Berlin, Austria clinched a 3-2 victory against the Netherlands, consequently leading Group D. This unexpected win knocks the likes of Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal into the same side of the knockout stages. However, the presence of teams such as Austria in the alternative side nullifies any presumed weakness.
Ronald Koeman, the Dutch manager, had previously witnessed Austria’s lightning-fast takeover of Poland in the opening minutes, and was unable to prevent a similar scenario against his own team at the Olympiastadion. A mere nine minutes into the game, the Austrian fans were already rejoicing their first goal.
Despite the Dutch defence outnumbering the attacking Austrians, Marko Arnautovic was not successfully marked during Alexander Prass’s left-wing cross. The ball was intercepted by Donyell Malen, who in trying to prevent the goal, accidentally scored an own goal.
This unfortunate event marked the tournament’s seventh own goal, giving a likely opportunity to equal or surpass Euro 2020’s total of 11 own goals. The rising trend could be ascribed to the increased use of low crosses that bounce off bewildered defenders, as opposed to traditional far post crosses that give defenders enough time to react.
The Netherlands, eager to regain control, retaliated. Five minutes later, Tijjani Reijnders was served a neat low cross by Cody Gakpo, but sadly skewed his shot. Malen also had an opportunity to compensate for his error shortly after, but his sharp attempt, in response to Reijnders’s calculated pass, failed to hit the target. These misses, while lamentable, exposed Austria’s little-known vulnerability. Finally, at 41 minutes, Gakpo facilitated a successful cross for Memphis Depay whose fleetingly triumphant header missed the goal by a whisker.
In the 35th minute, Xavi Simons replaced PSV’s Joey Veerman, who didn’t appear to be injured but had lost the ball 16 out of 29 times he had it in possession. Veerman’s dismal performance led to him being benched, despite the brutal thrashing that his team had undergone in this half.
Simons swiftly made his presence felt. Shortly after the break, he assisted Gakpo situated in the left channel, who cut sharply past his marker and curled the ball with his right foot into the far corner, levelling the score.
However, Austria retaliated rapidly with an exquisitely constructed goal. A series of nifty moves on the left flank put Florian Grillitsch on a clear path to the byline, and his subsequent cross to the penalty area was converted into a sublime headed goal by Romano Schmid.
Austria’s untiring drive and pace deservedly culminated in the goal. They’re collectively overwhelming and unstoppable, causing distress to any opposition. They’re diametrically opposite to the dejected and crestfallen Manchester United squad that limped its way to a sixth position finish in 2022 under Ralf Rangnick’s guidance.
There are suggestions that Manchester United players were not convinced by Rangnick’s leadership, likely because his understated demeanor and academic approach may not have appealed to the high-profile Old Trafford stars.
Analysing Austria’s commendable performances, it seems Manchester United players’ disregard for Rangnick was a protective response. They probably didn’t have the stamina to match the high energy playing style. Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo, the least dynamic player in United’s magic, was most vocal about his disregard of the coach’s tactics as it rendered him irrelevant in his style of play.
Austria’s energetic young players and even seasoned ones like Arnautovic saw in Rangnick a path to relevance. Their collectivist approach has elevated them to an unprecedented level in Austrian football history, a hype not seen since their last competitive international team 40 years ago.
A common caveat when it comes to high-intensity gameplay is longevity – how long can the players maintain such a pace? This might explain why Rangnick made the unexpected decision to seat three of his regular players, including his key forward Christoph Baumgartner, on the sidelines. Baumgartner, along with Konrad Laimer and left full-back Philip Mwene, were each a yellow card away from being discarded from the potential second-round match. However, as important for the manager as avoiding further discipline was to conserve the players’ stamina.
In all, both Baumgartner and Laimer had returned to the field by the time Ronald Koeman switched in Wout Weghorst for Malen. Within a span of four minutes, Weghorst assisted Depay, who skillfully manoeuvred and kicked the ball into the net. The goal was initially deemed invalid due to a non-existent handball, but was later granted following a VAR audit.
Unfortunately for the Netherlands, they either got carried away with joy, or the protracted VAR interruption disrupted their attention. As soon as the game resumed, they exhibited an immediate defensive debacle, resulting in a loss. Firstly, the midfielders were sluggish in pulling back, leaving the defence vulnerable against the Austrian charge. And then Virgil van Dijk, in an offside position, let Marcel Sabitzer slip past him and score, giving Austria the lead.
The Austrian audience rejoiced, “Ohhh wie ist das schön,” echoing sentiments of the glory days of their 1978 World Cup triumph over West Germany, led by Hans Krankl, often deemed the most beautiful team performance. Contrary to that situation, where they faced elimination despite the win, this time they advance to the following round as victors of Group D.