After 3:1 against Poland

Special praise and warning from ÖFB team boss Rangnick

Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: Fabrice COFFRINI)

After the 3:1 victory against Poland, coach Ralf Rangnick gave special praise to some of the ÖFB team players. The German also warned his charges: "We're not through yet!"

Relief was written all over Austria team boss Ralf Rangnick's face after Friday's 3:1 win over Poland in Berlin. His squad lived up to expectations in their second European Championship match, and the reward is a place in the round of 16. Even a narrow defeat in the final group game against the Netherlands on Tuesday should be enough, but Rangnick warned: "We're not through yet. We will need at least one more point."

Ralf Rangnick celebrates the 3:1 win against Poland.

(Bild: AFP)

The most important game so far
Despite all the caution, victory in the "play-off game", as Rangnick described the clash with the Poles, could mean progression to the knockout phase, as four of the six best third-placed teams in the group will advance. "This was definitely the most important game since I've been team boss. That's why we're all very happy about the win and, for long stretches, about the performance," Rangnick explained.

The ÖFB team started strongly, then fell behind and finally secured the three points thanks to an improvement after the break. "The first 20 minutes were almost perfect, we should have led more. After that, we gave the game away a bit and were careless with our possession. In the second half, we were clearly in control of the match," the German summed up. Under his leadership, the ÖFB team went nine consecutive games without conceding a goal after the break - the last time this had been achieved was between 1973 and 1975.

Relapse as a "matter of the head"
Rangnick described the relapse in the second half of the first half as a "matter of the head". Even before that, some of his players had been underperforming. "We had a big performance gap at the start. Four or five players were outstanding, others underperformed. But we can't afford to have four or five players below their normal form," emphasized the 65-year-old. "But everything changed after the change of ends."

At the post-match press conference, Rangnick initially explained that he did not want to single out any of his players "because we live from team spirit". A little later, however, there was special praise. Nicolas Seiwald (Rangnick: "For me, that was his best game since I've been team manager"), 2:1 assist provider Alexander Prass, penalty taker Marko Arnautovic, Philipp Lienhart ("A terrific performance") and goalscorer Gernot Trauner ("I hope it works out by Tuesday"), who was ruled out with a muscle injury, were explicitly mentioned.

Nicolas Seiwald (left)

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The latter two formed the new central defense, with Kevin Danso and Maximilian Wöber, who played in the 1-0 draw against France, dropping out of the starting line-up. "It wasn't an easy decision for me, but I'm glad I opted for these two," said Rangnick.

June 21 a lucky day 
The right choice of personnel also ensured that June 21 is traditionally a lucky day for the Austrian national team. The "Miracle of Cordoba" took place on this day in 1978, the World Cup victory over Algeria in 1982 and the 1-0 win over Ukraine at the 2021 European Championship. The success three years ago saw the ÖFB men's team reach the last 16 of the EURO for the first time in history - and that is exactly what they hope to achieve on Tuesday.