MArcel Sabitzer menyerang rumah untuk memberi Austria kemenangan 3-2 yang mendebarkan melawan Belanda pada hari Selasa dan mengirim timnya lolos ke puncak Grup D Euro 2024, di depan favorit turnamen Prancis dan tempat ketiga Belanda.
Ketiga negara lolos ke babak 16 besar tetapi tim Austria Ralf Rangnick yang intens menunjukkan mengapa beberapa orang menganggap mereka kuda hitam untuk memenangkan turnamen untuk pertama kalinya pada sore yang meriah di Berlin.
Gol bunuh diri Donyell Malen membuat Austria unggul tetapi Cody Gakpo menyamakan kedudukan Belanda di awal babak kedua.
Romano Schmid pulang ke Austria dengan Memphis Depay mematok mereka kembali sekali lagi, sebelum Sabitzer menyelesaikan pergumulan yang panik dan ujung ke ujung.
“Kami memulai dengan lemah … kami terlalu lemah dalam duel, saya tidak punya penjelasan untuk itu saat ini,” kata kapten Belanda Virgil van Dijk kepada televisi Belanda.
“Kami membicarakannya di babak pertama, (bermain seperti itu) tidak mungkin, kami tahu itu, itu harus jauh lebih baik.
“Kita semua bertanggung jawab untuk ini – tidak ada satu atau dua orang yang bersalah … Jika kami ingin mencapai sesuatu di turnamen ini, sesuatu harus berubah.”
Rangnick membuat empat perubahan untuk Austria dari sisi yang secara efektif menyingkirkan Polandia, dengan bek Gernot Trauner, yang mencetak gol dalam kemenangan itu, cedera, sementara Christoph Baumgartner juga mencetak gol dan ditinggalkan di bangku cadangan.
Meanwhile Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman selected Malen in attack as one of three changes from the goalless draw against France last week.
The Borussia Dortmund forward got off to an unfortunate start though when he slid in to deflect Alexander Prass’ cross into his own net, as he tried to stop it reaching the lurking Marko Arnautovic.
Austria’s campaign started with a 1-0 defeat to France after Max Wober put through his own net but the tournament’s seventh own goal made them far happier.
Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders had a fine chance to swiftly equalise, scuffing his shot badly wide after a neat exchange with Gakpo.
Netherlands supporters have lit up the tournament with their vibrant orange glow but Austria fans outnumbered and outsung them in Berlin.
As Rangnick’s men fizzed the ball around their struggling Dutch counterparts, supporters gleefully cheered each successful pass.
Koeman seethed on the touchline and flung his arms down in frustration as Malen sent a bobbling shot beyond the far post when well placed.
– Frantic –
The former Barcelona coach brought on Xavi Simons after only 34 minutes for midfielder Joey Veerman to add more spark and creativity to his team’s disjointed display.
However it was Austria who carved out the next big chance, with Bart Verbruggen saving Sabitzer’s drive and Arnautovic unable to get his footwork right to turn home from close range moments later as his team kept the move alive.
Netherlands came out for the second half fired up and pulled level as soon as the 47th minute when Simons fed Gakpo, who sent an assured curling finish beyond Austria goalkeeper Patrick Pentz.
Austria kept their heads and Schmid nodded them back in front after 59 minutes from Florian Grillitsch’s cross, with Stefan de Vrij unable to hack the ball clear on the line.
The goal sucked the life out of the Netherlands, who turned to their super sub against Poland and at the 2022 World Cup against Argentina, burly hitman Wout Weghorst, to put their plan B into action.
It worked almost immediately, with the striker nodding down for Depay to smash home and pull the game level.
Austria struck back yet again to move ahead for the third time when Dortmund’s Sabitzer superbly rifled home at the near post, after Van Dijk played him onside.
Substitute Baumgartner produced a fine finish for what would have been Austria’s fourth but was offside, and Weghorst headed over a final chance for the downcast Dutch.
“If you beat the Netherlands and win the group, then you can’t be that bad,” said former Bayern Munich midfielder Sabitzer, 30.
“When you win like that, win the group, score the winning goal, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
