The Austrian national team defeated the Polish team with a score of 3-1 (1-1), on Friday evening, at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, in Group D of the European Football Championship – EURO 2024, hosted by Germany.
Austria’s players celebrate the victory over Poland at EURO 2024 PHOTO EPA EFE jpg
The team coached by Ralf Rangnick obtained its first points in the group, through the goals scored by Gernot Trauner (9), Christoph Baumgartner (67), Marko Arnautovic (78 – penalty).
For Poland, where star Robert Lewandowski played the first minutes of this tournament, Krzysztof Piatek (30) scored, but he has little chance of avoiding elimination.
Austria practically scored on the first clear scoring opportunity of the game (9): Mwene crossed from the left side, and Trauner resumed with a header from 6 meters to the short corner.
Poland built up well in the minutes that followed and created several scoring chances. Zielinski’s shot was blocked by Mwene (17), Zalewski (18), found free in the box, missed a great opportunity, shooting over the goal.
In min. 30, after a fixed phase, Bednarek shot, Trauner blocked, but the ball reached Piatek, who sent into the net from the edge of the small box, equalizing.
Piatek also scored against Austria, right in Vienna, in the EURO 2020 preliminaries (1-0).
Until the break, each team had another notable situation, the Austrians through Sabitzer (39), whose shot was blocked by Bednarek, and the Poles through Zielinski (45+1), from a free kick from 30 meters, but the goalkeeper Pentz deflected off the crossbar.
After the break, the Austrians were the most incisive, and Posch (51) tested Szczesny’s vigilance with a header at Wimmer’s corner.
Christoph Baumgartner (67), left free in the center after a remarkable pass by Prass, brought Austria to the advantage.
The entry of Lewandowski did not have the expected impact, the Poles having only one notable opportunity in the second half, through Swiderski (69), whose shot from the edge of the box was rejected by Pentz.
Szczesny denied Wimmer’s shot in the center (75) after an excellent pass from Baumgartner.
In min. 77, Sabitzer intercepted a ball and escaped towards the goal, being fouled by goalkeeper Szczesny. Marko Arnautovic converted the penalty (78), securing the victory for the Austrian team.
Arnautovic, at the third EURO, reached 114 selections, and the goal scored on Friday is the 37th for the Austrian national team.
Austria had two more great chances to score until the end. After a scramble in the Polish box (84), Posch shot superbly from 20 meters, but Szczesny made an extraordinary save. Laimer (85) went past Szczesny, but sent in front of the empty net from an angle.
Sabitzer marked the selection with the number 80 for Austria.
Lewandowski reached 153 selections for Poland, having scored 82 goals, holding both national records.
The other match of the group opposes the Netherlands and France, on Friday evening, in Leipzig (22:00).
The last games in the group will take place on Tuesday, June 25, Holland – Austria (Berlin, 19:00) and France – Poland (Dortmund, 19:00).
