Austria followers loved the Berlin sunshine on Tuesday afternoon after watching their group transfer to the highest of Group D with an exciting win over the Netherlands.
Ralf Rangnick and his gamers gave their supporters a standing ovation as they welcomed them house at full-time on the Olympiastadion.
Austria had the very best sport of the match to this point. They troubled the Netherlands for 90 minutes and absolutely deserved their 3-2 win.
Scottish followers wouldn’t be human in the event that they didn't watch Austria at these Euros and really feel jealous. There’s some irony in the truth that Scotland have been those who began the Rangnick period in Austria.
Three years in the past, Scotland performed the Austrian group twice in World Cup qualifying. After a 2-2 draw at Hampden, the Scots picked up an important 1-0 win in Vienna in September 2021.
The end result spelled the tip for Franco Foda. By the point Scotland returned to Vienna for a pleasant six months later, Foda had resigned from his put up after failing to qualify for the World Cup.
Marcel Sabitzer and his Austrian teammates rejoice their gorgeous defeat over the Netherlands
Sabitzer's eightieth minute successful purpose shocked Europe and drew consideration
Romano Schmid runs after scoring the second purpose for Austria in Berlin
Step in. Rangnick. The German head coach was coming to the tip of his unlucky tenure in control of Manchester United.
When his group was searching for a brand new id and enjoying model, the Austrian Soccer Affiliation noticed a possibility and requested him the query.
In direction of the tip of his tenure at Previous Trafford, Rangnick was unfairly ridiculed. He turned often called Wreck It Ralph at a membership that had pressed the self-destruct button lengthy earlier than he arrived. With the passage of time, we now know that the issues skilled throughout that interval have been extra United's issues than Rangnick's.
Clearly, the person is among the most influential coaches in European soccer over the past 25 years, and his Gegenpressing machine is now working wonders for Austria.
Ending prime of a gaggle that included France and the Netherlands is a incredible achievement, however you’d hardly suspect that merely reaching the knockout phases could be the extent of Austria's ambitions.
Ralph Rangnick has applied a high-energy sport plan that has destabilized some prime groups
They’ve now turn into the darkest horse in your complete match and only a few would guess in opposition to them progressing, particularly since they’re on the extra beneficial facet of the draw away from groups like Germany, Spain, France and Portugal.
Some are pushing Austria to go the way in which of Greece, however even that comparability appears a bit absurd. When Greece received the Euros in 2004, they did so with an especially pragmatic enjoying model. They prioritised clear sheets in any respect prices and received all three video games within the knockout stage by 1-0.
John McGinn scored an outstanding equaliser to make sure a 2-2 draw and deny Austria a win at Hampden
This isn’t Austria's model in any respect. Within the house of two years, Rangnick has reworked this group of gamers into one of the thrilling and aggressive groups in Europe.
They play a 4-2-3-1 system and, because the Dutch have now confirmed, press opponents to the purpose of distraction with their power and aggression.
Once they take into account why issues have gone so poorly for Scotland at these Euros, the Tartan Military will have a look at Austria and surprise what might have been. Why? As a result of, by way of pound-for-pound high quality and expertise, Austria's group is on the identical stage as Scotland's.
There aren’t any Gareth Bales or Robert Lewandowskis, two world-class superstars who carried smaller nations ahead and have been typically seen because the lacking ingredient from a Scottish perspective.
Dutch ahead Memphis Depay feels harassed by Austria's relentless stress play
Austria has gamers who play for golf equipment like Sturm Graz, Hoffenheim, Mainz and Freiburg. It's a strong base, on prime of which there are one or two huge names like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. They’re a gaggle of trustworthy, hardworking gamers. However, essentially, the general type of the Austrian group is not any totally different from Scotland.
Steve Clarke had a strong core, together with huge names resembling Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Arsenal.
Nevertheless, he lacked ambition. On this respect, Austria is the precise reverse of Scotland underneath Clark.
They’re fearless, whereas Scotland was weak.
Throughout their three matches, Clarke’s facet achieved a mixed xG of 0.95, the bottom of all 24 groups within the match.
The opening evening in Munich determined the whole lot. Scotland have been passive and uninspiring. That's not the gamers' fault. It's a training drawback.
Austria obtained off to an awesome begin with Donyell Malen scoring the primary personal purpose
In distinction, Rangnick has embraced his high-octane, high-pressing model of soccer. Austria is a brave group that performs on the entrance foot and assaults at each alternative.
He has a clearly outlined model of play, which has seen him carry out past his potential over the previous few years.
Since Rangnick took over, he has defeated Italy, Germany and now the Netherlands. That's three main heavyweight titles in lower than two years.
Outcomes like these are actually strengthening the idea that Austria can go very far in these Euros. Definitely, no so-called prime group would need to face them.
Clarke will probably be credited with getting Scotland again to 2 main tournaments. And rightly so. Nobody can ever take that honour away from him.
However they don’t seem to be free from criticism. Nor are they free from the idea that this group of Scotland gamers are able to far more than they’ve proven over the previous 12 months.
Rangnick was ridiculed for his time at Manchester United, however who's laughing now?
In captain Andy Robertson, Scotland have a participant who has proven over various seasons that he can thrive and excel within the high-pressing system underneath Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
Likewise, Callum McGregor has performed so for years at Celtic underneath Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers. Billy Gilmour is a younger, energetic technician in midfield.
John McGinn and Scott McTominay are two highly effective box-to-box operators in the course of the park. Che Adams is fast and dynamic, precisely the sort of participant wanted to create stress up entrance.
The notion that Clarke doesn't have sufficient good gamers is garbage, it's paying homage to the darkish days when Gordon Strachan used to say lots about genetics.
Clarke has the proper instruments. The issue is he's not utilizing them accurately or in a approach that may make an influence in a serious match.
Lyndon Dykes scores from the spot in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win in Austria in 2021
With its fearless method, Austria has proven the way it ought to be performed.
He has damaged the script and is setting these euros on hearth. His supporters are daring to dream.
Scotland followers will look again and surprise how various things might need been if they’d a coach who really confirmed some ambition.
