Austria's Astonishing Victory: A Testament to Courage

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick praised his team for an unexpected victory that secured their place in the Euro 2024 knockout phase. The 3-2 win over the Netherlands enabled Austria to top Group D. Rangnick highlighted the team's high possession and tactical changes to avoid suspensions.

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick praised his courageous team for springing a surprise by reaching the Euro 2024 knockout phase with a 3-2 win over the Netherlands that saw them top Group D.

"If you placed a bet on the outcome today, you would be a very rich man or woman," he told a press conference. "We got rewarded for this very courageous and energetic match my players showed."

Austria dominated the game from the start with an initial 80% of possession, the 65-year-old German coach noted. He said he made changes from the 3-1 win over Poland in the last match to avoid suspensions for a second booking, especially for midfielders Konrad Laimer and Christoph Baumgartner.

Rangnick's team will next Tuesday play their last-16 match against the runners-up in Group F in Leipzig where he was manager of the Bundesliga side for several years. "We have to take it step by step," he said about the prospects of moving on in the tournament.

Austria topped the group on six points, with France second on five after a 1-1 draw with Poland and the Netherlands third on four. Already eliminated Poland finished with one point. The Dutch advanced as one of the four best third-placed finishers.