Austria – Türkiye: Türkiye Win Nailbiting Finish To Turn Tables On Dark Horses Austria (1-2)

Austria’s wonder run in Euro 2024 came to an abrupt end after two goals scored by Türkiye’s Merih Dermiral from corner kicks in each half. Despite clawing their way back scoring one via substitute Michael Gregoritsch, Austria were sent crashing out of the competition by a resolute Türkiye side who held firm to secure a historic win. 

Tactical analysis and match report by Gaurav Krishnan. 

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It’s been over a century since Austria’s infamous Wunderteam took the field in an international competition led by Austrian football’s pioneering manager Hugo Meisl. Back in the 1920s and 30s football began to gain momentum and widespread interest in the fabled coffee houses centred around Vienna; a culture which began to spread to Budapest and Prague as well. The Austrian national side, with their hero, a centre forward named Matthias Sindelar was widely celebrated across Austria as the Danubian school of football began in its infancy. 

Now, over a century later, Austria has had their own version of that Wunderteam to celebrate. Austrian fans were given a lot to cheer about at this Euros – topping a group with the Netherlands, France and Ralf Rangnick’s relentless Geggenpressing style of play which captured the imagination of every Austrian fan, young and old. But on this night, it wasn’t to be as Türkiye accomplished the unthinkable.

Austria’s Marcel Sabitzer’s long marauding run to score the winner against the Dutch, instilled renewed vigour in the hearts of Austrian fans – maybe, just maybe they thought their team could go on such a long marauding run into the latter stages of the tournament. But Türkiye, propelled by Real Madrid wonderboy Arda Guler’s set pieces, and surprise package Merih Demiral who popped up to score from the Real Madrid youngster’s deliveries, gave Türkiye their first quarter-final qualification at the Euros in their country’s history. 

Austria manager Ralf Rangnick set up his side in a 4-2-3-1 shape with Patrick Pentz in goal, Stephan Posch, and Phillip Mwene at right and left back respectively, alongside Kevin Danso and Philipp Lienhart in central defense. Nicolas Seiwald and Konrad Laimer were fielded in the midfield double pivot followed by Christoph Baumgartner through the middle as the attacking midfielder with Romano Schmid on the right and Marcel Sabitzer to the left, and with Marko Arnautovic leading the line as the lone striker and captaining the side. 

Vincenzo Montella meanwhile set up his Türkiye side in a 3-4-3 formation which became a 5-3-2 shape without the ball. Mert Gunok started in goal with the three-man defense of Merih Demiral, Abdulkerim Bardakci and Kaan Ayhan. At wing-back were Ferdi Kadioglu at left wing-back and Mert Muldur at right wing-back, along with the midfield two of Orkun Kokcu and Ismail Yuksek. The Türkiye front three comprised Kenan Yildiz and Baris Yilmaz on either side of Arda Guler who was deployed as the false nine.  

A Frenetic Start

The game between both the underdogs of Euro 2024 began at a frantic and frenetic pace. Inside the thirty seconds, Austria had shades of a half chance for Marcel Sabitzer and almost immediately the ball was at the other end as Türkiye played it quickly in towards Baris Yilmaz. The goal for Türkiye came just after just fifty-seven seconds after Arda Guler’s corner caused all sorts of problems for the Austrian defense. Merih Demiral was first to pounce on the loose ball that pinballed around the goalmouth after it was cleared off the line to score emphatically, giving Türkiye the lead inside the first minute of the game.

Baumgartner went close almost immediately in the second minute, but the ball went agonisingly wide of the Turkish goal. Austria then had a corner almost similar to Guler’s corner that bounced across the face of goal that nobody managed to turn into the net, which summed up their evening in Leipzig in many ways. Austria had managed to score in the first fifteen minutes in each of their previous seven games going into this one, so Türkiye perhaps were aware of the statistic and managed to handle Austria pretty astutely denying them space in behind and further preventing them from imposing their Geggenpressing philosophy and intensity on the game. Türkiye also bypassed Austria’s press and went direct to their attack with longer balls out of defense from the wider center backs and Arda Guler set up to win the second balls. This was highlighted by Ayhan’s (5/7) and Bardakci’s (5/11) successful long passes.

Türkiye manager Montella employed a dynamic press depending on where Austria had the ball on the pitch. This was imperative to not let the Austrians settle into any sort of rhythm and impose their high-intensity game on Türkiye. The Turkish team pressed Rangnick’s men man-to-man when Austria had the ball in their own half while Montella’s men sat back in a 5-3-2 mid-to-low block when Austria progressed the ball into Türkiye’s half.  

Minute 24’ Türkiye’s man-to-man press as Austria begin build up in their own half. The Turkish players all push up marking Austria’s players man for man after a goalkick that followed a Türkiye corner. The front five and back five all have their man, negating space to progress the ball. Türkiye employed this strategy when Austria had the ball in their own half. The result of Türkiye’s press and what follows forces Austria to play back passes and then go wide and eventually go long to their forward line with higher chances of a turnover.

Austria were deployed in a 4-2-3-1 formation by Ralf Rangnick with the full-backs providing width. They used wide overloads interchanging with the central players to create wide triangles and a diamond shape off-the-ball ahead of the midfield double pivot during progression. But this didn’t phase Türkiye; despite all their possession, Austria found it difficult to find a way past Türkiye’s steadfast defensive base.

A Tale Of Three Set Pieces

Austria began to dominate possession and proceedings in the second half. While the first half had nearly 50-50 possession, Austria saw much more of the ball with 70% possession in the second forty-five. Ralf Rangnick rang in a couple of changes bringing in Michael Gregoritsch and Alexander Prass for Romano Schmid and Phillip Mwene respectively. Rangnick deployed the towering Gregortisch alongside Arnautovic up front making it a classic two-man strike partnership in the hope of getting the goals they needed. 

It was almost a cheat code for Türkiye to have their nineteen-year-old wonderkid Arda Guler on set piece duty. Guler’s first corner caused mayhem in the Austrian box that led to the Demiral’s goal after a goal-mouth scramble. Guler then played another venomous ball in from another corner for Demiral to head home and make it 2-0 to Türkiye in the fifty-ninth minute. From then on, it was only a case of Türkiye hanging on to their lead. 

After going 2-0 up, Türkiye sat back in their 5-3-2 shape that became a 5-4-1 in the latter stages of the game. They put every player behind the ball but Austria clawed their way back in the sixty-sixth minute giving the Austrian fans hope and something to cheer about. Sabitzer’s corner was flicked on by Stefan Posch and the substitute Michael Gregoritsch found himself free near the far post to score past Turkish keeper Mert Gunok and at that point it seemed like it was game on. 

The goal gave Austria some hope as they passed and probed and went more direct in search of an equaliser. By this time Türkiye had firmly settled into their defensive shape and their gameplan of defending their slender lead getting every man behind the ball. Türkiye settled into a 5-3-2 shape without the ball in a low block making it extremely difficult for Austria to find space by congesting the box and central areas suffocating play. 

Minute 69’ Türkiye settle into a 5-3-2 shape without the ball in their own half in a low block to hold onto their lead. This was shortly following Austria’s goal making it 2-1. Montella brought on Ozcan for Yuksek in the 58th minute and he slotted into midfield and the instructions were clear to deny Austria space to progress centrally. From minute 69’ onwards Türkiye remained camped in their half, defending with every player behind the ball in this shape which changed to a 5-4-1 at times.

This was clearly evident in the seventy-first minute after Yilmaz found himself free on a breakaway; he got past his man and played a ball across the box but there were no Turkish bodies making runs up the pitch to join in attack.

It was largely a defensive job done well by Türkiye who managed to successfully prevent Austria from progressing centrally. The half-space plot shows only four successful passes into the box out of twenty. 

Meanwhile, the Zone 14 plot shows only two passes into the box completed by Austria out of a total of forty-four passes completed with Türkiye restricting the number of attempted passes into the box to only eight as well. 

Austria, however, didn’t take the chances that they managed to create. Arnautovic bore down on goal around the fifty-minute mark after being played through 1v1 but he only managed to strike the onrushing keeper Gunok. Baumgartner also had a free header from a cross in the eighty-third minute. 

Mert Gunok’s Stunning Save Denies Austria Late On

The game tilted towards a nail-biting finish as Austria pushed forward in search of an equaliser. They went much more direct to their two center forwards Arnautovic and Gregoritsch. But Türkiye could have had a third after Yilmaz beat his man and shot towards goal on a counterattack in the second minute of added time, but Pentz denied what would have been game, set and match to Türkiye. 

The best chance for Austria to equalise was also the last chance of the game. Deep into added time, Baumgartner got his head onto a cross from Prass but was denied by a staggering save at full stretch by Turkish goalkeeper Mert Gunok. To put the save into perspective, Baumgartner’s header had an xGOT of 0.94, making a save only 6% probable. 

In truth, the Austrians threw the kitchen sink at it but Türkiye would not be denied. The save ensured Türkiye’s night of infamy remained intact, and that was the end of Austria’s tournament with Türkiye pulling a proper rabbit out of the hat. 

Takeaways

It was in many ways an abrupt end to Ralf Rangnick and his Austrian side’s run in the tournament; they were in form and riding high on their group-stage success. Also in many ways, it was perhaps unfortunate because they were beaten by two goals from set pieces, but that’s football, they all count. Austria scored only the solitary goal despite accumulating an xG of 3.38 while Türkiye scored two against an xG of 1.48. 

For Rangnick and Austria their adventure at the Euros comes to a sudden halt after the momentum they gained in the group phase and to lose in a place as familiar as Leipzig perhaps stings more for Rangnick. However, despite their untimely exit, he’s shown what he’s capable of after a much-maligned spell as a technical director at Manchester United. He could certainly do wonders for Austria if he stays on as coach and build on this tournament, which is a strong base to build from.

But that being said, it was an inspired Türkiye performance and one for the record books. It was largely evident as they all fell to the floor and looked to the skies after the final whistle. Türkiye’s Arda Guler and Demiral are definitely heroes after this game, but another pair in left-back Kadioglu and the Turkish keeper Gunok also put in admirable performances to get their team over the line. 

Turkiye have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Euros for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals at Euro 2000 & the semi-finals at Euro 2008 and this night in Leipzig will certainly go down in the country’s history books as one of their greatest victories on the European stage – this night will almost definitely become part of folklore & be told as bedtime stories to kids across the nation. They now play the Netherlands in the quarters in Berlin.

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