02:10 PM
Austria surprised the Netherlands with a 3-2 victory in Berlin to advance to the round of 16 of Euro 2024 as leader of Group D, helped by 1-1 draw between France and Poland.
The goals of Donyell Malen (6′, against his goal), Roman Schmid (59′) and Marcel Sabitzer (80′) ensured the victory of the Austrians, despite the reaction of Cody Gakpo who scored at 47 minutes and Memphis Depay at 75.
The 1-1 draw in Dortmund between the ‘Bleus’ and the already eliminated Poland leaves France as second in the group, with 5 points, and the Austrians as leaders with 6.
Ronald Koeman’s ‘Oranje’, which, like France, was already mathematically classified since Albania’s defeat against Spain (1-0), classifies as one of the best teams to finish in third position, with 4 points.
Although by passing this first round the Netherlands meets the minimum objective required of a candidate team, doing so as third represents an added difficulty for the 1988 champions, as they will meet in the round of 16 against a group leader.
Quite the opposite of the positivism of the team trained by Ralf Rangnick, which reaches the round of 16 of the competition for the second time in its history and also consecutively. In 2021, the Austrians lost at that stage of the competition against the future champions Italy (0-0, 2-1 after extra time).
They also do so having shown their face in their entry into the fray against France (1-0 defeat) and defeating Poland Robert Lewandowski (3-1), who was eliminated on the second day.
Rain of goals in the second half
Austria arrived in Berlin needing a victory, but having never before achieved two in a row in the European Championship. The statistics are there to be broken, and the match at the Olympic Stadium soon turned towards their interests.
A pass from the left side of Alexander Prass He ran into Malen, diving to clear the ball… which he ended up directing with power and from close range towards his goal.
The player of Borussia Dortmund He was unlucky, because minutes later he wasted a face-to-face against Patrick Pentz (23), with a deflected shot. The chance had not gone to goal either. Tijjani Reijnders (14) minutes before not even a header Memphis Depay (42) shortly before the break.
Austria also approached with danger, especially with a powerful low shot from Marcel Sabitzer (39), cut off by Bart Vebruggen.
And that lack of goals in the first half disappeared after passing through the locker room, with an exchange of blows that changed the group classification again and again.
Cody Gakpo did not forgive the first chance of the second half, after a great counterattack, but 15 minutes later, Schmid put the Austrians ahead again with a great header.
Depay, with an acrobatic action that had to be reviewed for possible handball, made the score 2-2, but the Austrian revolution had not been completely quelled, and Sabitzer sealed the surprise, coldly and precisely defining a duel against Vebruggen (80, 3-2).
