Austria defeated the Netherlands 3:2 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin in the final match of Group “D” of Euro 2024. In the other match, France and Poland drew 1:1, so Austria won the group with 7 points. France is in second place with 5 points, while the “tulips” are third with 4, but they will certainly continue as one of the best third-placed teams. Poland finished last with one point.
The spectators in the German capital witnessed an extremely interesting match. The Austrians took the lead after an own goal by Donny Malen in the 6th minute, but Cody Gakpo equalized at the beginning of the second half. Romano Schmid put Austria back in the lead in the 59th minute, but Memphis Depay restored the equalizer 15 minutes before the end. The captain of the Austrians, Marcel Sabitzer, put an end to the dispute with a dagger shot in the 81st minute.
With their first place, Austria will wait for the second team from Group “F”, France will play with the second team from Group “E”, and the Netherlands will have to wait for the final standings in all groups to find out their next opponent. It is quite possible that the “tulips” will have to face the team of Spain, or perhaps the English.
The symbolic guests started the match more confidently and in the first minutes established lasting control over the ball. This is how we got to the 6th minute, when Alexander Prass broke through on the left wing, crossed sharply on the ground, and Donny Malen made a desperate lunge in an attempt to clear the ball, but sent it into his own goal.
The “tulips” could have restored the equalizer very quickly. Fifteen minutes after the start, they organized their first more dangerous attack. Cody Gakpo faked a man on the left wing and passed to Tyrell Malacia, who was lurking around the penalty spot, but his attempt to shoot was disappointing. No. 18 in the “tulips” squad missed a golden chance to redeem himself for the own goal.
Shortly before the break, Austria could have doubled their lead. First, Sabitzer shot dangerously from long range, but Verbruggen managed to save. However, the ball was crossed back into the Netherlands’ field, where Austria’s captain Marko Arnautovic was left unmarked, but he failed to shoot accurately and gave the ball into Verbruggen’s hands.
Just 70 seconds after the restart, the Netherlands managed to equalize. The “tulips” organized a lightning counterattack, in which Xavi Simons ran about 40-50 meters with the ball through the center and passed to Cody Gakpo in Austria’s penalty area. The Liverpool player faked a defender of the Austrians and technically spun the ball into the far corner.
In the 59th minute, Austria took the lead again. Sabitzer received the ball in front of the penalty area and passed to the left to the advancing Grillitsch. He, in turn, crossed into the penalty area, where Romano Schmid with a flying dive stretched the net of the “tulips” for the second time.
Fifteen minutes before the end, the “tulips” equalized again. Cody Gakpo crossed into the penalty area, where Wout Weghorst headed down to Memphis Depay, who took the ball on his chest and volleyed it into the Austrians’ net. The goal was initially disallowed for Depay’s handball, but replays showed that there was no such thing.
The Dutchmen’s joy lasted only 6 minutes. Marcel Sabitzer received a pass in the Netherlands’ penalty area from Baumgartner and with a powerful shot with his left foot left Verbruggen helpless.
Shortly before the end, Wout Weghorst could have turned into the joker for the Netherlands again, but his header went just over the crossbar. Mickey van de Ven also had a chance to equalize seconds before the final whistle, but he shot into the goalkeeper.
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