Austria ignited their Euro 2024 knockout aspirations with a resounding 3-1 victory over Poland on Friday. The win hinges Austria’s fate on avoiding defeat in their final Group D encounter against the Netherlands on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Poland’s chances of progressing are hanging by a thread, almost entirely reliant on defeating France in their last group match to secure a spot among the top four third-placed teams.
The match witnessed a spirited performance from Austria, with Gernot Trauner heading in the opening goal, a deserved reward for their dominant start. Krzysztof Piatek, returning after missing their opening loss to the Netherlands, equalized for Poland in the 30th minute. The introduction of Robert Lewandowski, appearing for the first time in the tournament with half an hour remaining, failed to spark a resurgence for the struggling Polish side.
Christoph Baumgartner restored Austria’s lead with a well-executed team move, and Marko Arnautovic sealed the victory with a penalty in the 78th minute. The game was an end-to-end affair, with Austria creating numerous chances and exhibiting impressive attacking prowess.
Austria, making their mark in a major tournament’s knockout stage for the first time since Euro 2020, can secure their spot in the next round with a win against the Dutch, who face France later on Friday. Despite Poland coach Michal Probierz’s optimism, Lewandowski, who had sustained a thigh injury last week, was not deemed fit enough to start the match.
The Olympiastadion was filled with passionate fans from both countries, with Polish supporters slightly outnumbering their Austrian counterparts. However, it was the Austrian contingent, clad in red shirts, who celebrated first, erupting in joy just nine minutes into the game. Austria’s early dominance was rewarded when Trauner powered a header past Wojciech Szczesny, the Polish goalkeeper, following a clever maneuver by Phillipp Mwene.
Poland, gradually finding their footing, missed a golden opportunity to equalize when Nicola Zalewski blazed a shot over the bar. Their recent encounters in Euro 2020 qualifying had been rather uneventful, producing just a solitary goal. However, the current match unfolded as a thrilling spectacle, and Poland finally found the equalizer just before the half-hour mark. Piatek capitalized on a rebound, slotting in from close range after Trauner blocked Jan Bednarek’s attempt.
Austria missed a prime chance to regain their lead with a three-on-two attack, only for Bednarek to make a crucial intervention, denying Marcel Sabitzer’s shot. In the added time of the first half, goalkeeper Patrick Pentz made a diving save to thwart Piotr Zielinski’s free-kick, preventing Poland from taking the lead.
Austria continued their strong performance in the second half, with Szczesny holding onto Stefan Posch’s header. The stadium erupted when Lewandowski finally entered the pitch in the 60th minute. His sole notable contribution was a yellow card for an elbow to Philipp Lienhart’s face.
Austria re-established their lead in the 66th minute with a brilliantly crafted goal. Arnautovic cleverly dummied Alexander Prass’s pass, allowing Baumgartner to take a touch and calmly slot the ball into the bottom corner.
With 15 minutes remaining, Austria had a chance to seal the deal when Patrick Wimmer’s low strike was saved by Szczesny. However, the third goal arrived soon after, as Arnautovic calmly converted a penalty, awarded after Sabitzer was brought down by Szczesny.
Austria continued to press, almost embarrassing Poland with a series of threatening attacks. Szczesny was called into action again, making a brilliant fingertip stop from Posch’s long-range drive. Poland’s defensive disarray was evident as Konrad Laimer rounded Szczesny and narrowly missed an open goal. Despite this near miss, Austria’s impressive performance, culminating in their third win at a major tournament in 34 years, remained undimmed.
