Netherlands 2-3 Austria analysis: Austria's threat from crosses
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Article summary
UEFA's performance analysis unit highlights the string of deliveries that helped Ralf Rangnick's side secure an impressive 3-2 win against the Netherlands on EURO 2024 Matchday 3.
Article top media content
Article body
Austria delivered one of the surprises of the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage by securing first place in Group D on Tuesday, ahead of France and the Netherlands. It is the first time since the 1978 FIFA World Cup that they have won their group at a major tournament, and they have impressed UEFA's technical observers along the way with the high-energy pressing game that has brought victories over Poland and the Netherlands.
Another significant feature of their attacking play has been their crossing. Their opening goal against Poland was a header from a cross and in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Netherlands, they struck twice more this way as the following analysis will explain.
This was actually the group fixture in which Austria produced their lowest number of open-play crosses – seven compared to 20 in their first match against France – yet within six minutes, the Netherlands' Donyell Malen had turned an Alexander Prass delivery past his own goalkeeper.
Left-back Prass was back in the side as one of four changes from the Poland game and, as the video below shows, inside two minutes he had served notice of his crossing ability with a deep ball that he would replicate for the Malen own goal.
As the opening sequence begins, we see centre-back Maximilian Wöber carry the ball into the Netherlands half, creating an overload on Austria's left and drawing Malen towards him. This leaves Prass in space to deliver a first-time cross from deep. As the ball comes across, it is worth noting the body position of the Netherlands defenders, all facing their own goal. From a technical perspective, this is the benefit of an early ball as defenders are still running backwards – as Malen would be for his own goal.
At that stage, the Netherlands had completed just two of nine attempted passes, underlining the force of Austria's front-foot start. Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman bemoaned his side's lack of pressure early in the contest as he told EURO2024.com: "Of course, I expected the Austrians to play with intensity, but I also expected us to start better than we did. We weren't aggressive enough, our defence wasn't positioned properly and we lost the ball unnecessarily too often."
To move on to the second clip, UEFA's performance analysts have observed how teams in this tournament are targeting the space near the byline from which to deliver cutbacks. This was the source of Austria's second goal, a 59th-minute header by Romano Schmid.
Prass is involved once more, feeding Florian Grillitsch on the left side of the Netherlands penalty box, near the byline. The video shows how two Dutch defenders follow Marko Arnautović towards the five-metre box, and this leaves the space behind in which Schmid connects with Grillitsch's cross from the cutback zone, scoring with a strong header.
Offering a broader reflection on Austria's performance, coach Ralf Rangnick said: "Overall, we had the greater will to win and an extreme energy output on the pitch, which you could feel in every phase of the match."
Meanwhile, there was particular praise for Player of the Match Marcel Sabitzer from the UEFA technical observer panel, which said: "Sabitzer was active across all the phases throughout the match. A threat in possession, receiving in between the lines, as well as challenging the opposition back line with his movement in behind. He worked hard defensively and made the difference in the end with the winning goal."
With it, Austria had back-to-back victories at a major finals for the first time since 1982 – and, on the evidence so far, they have the tools to trouble any opponent in the knockout stage.
UEFA analysis at EURO 2024
