We deserve better: Teary-eyed Austria players comfort each other after their last-16 loss to Turkiye. — AP
LEIPZIG: An exciting Austria who had lit up the Euros so far were left ruing their failure to convert pressure into chances and also a spectacular last-gasp save that saw them ousted 1-2 by Turkiye.
Coach Ralf Rangnick bemoaned his side’s misfortune, hitting out at the boring football played by other sides at the tournament.
Austria emerged as potential dark horses after topping a group containing France and Holland, who have both qualified for the quarter-final.
Rangnick said his team had played four entertaining, intense matches and were worthy of a quarter-final berth but paid the price for poor defending, especially from set pieces.
Merih Demiral pounced on a bungled Austrian effort to clear a corner after just 57 seconds, and he doubled Turkiye’s lead just before the hour mark before Michael Gregoritsch pulled one back seven minutes later.
Austria flicked the switch but struggled to create substantive chances until a potent stoppage-time header from Christoph Baumgartner bounced off the turf and was saved spectacularly by goalkeeper Mert Gunok.
“If you’re behind with two goals, then things aren’t any easier. The team tried everything. We then scored one goal and we had enough time to achieve a draw,” Rangnick told a press conference.
A sobbing Christoph Baumgartner is consoled by a teammate.
“It’s difficult if you have Gordon Banks in goal,” he said, likening Gunok’s save to that famously pulled off by the late England goalkeeper from a header from Brazil’s Pele in the 1970 World Cup.
“Not everything went as accurately as we want. We could’ve played a few passes better but we had four very entertaining, intense games.
“I’ve seen other games when it was difficult to even stay awake and that was not the case in our games.”
Austria’s elimination extends to seven decades their unfathomable failure to win a match in the knockout rounds of a major tournament.
“You also need a bit of luck. If Baumgartner’s header at the end would have gone in, we could have won this game,” Rangnick said.
“This was a historic chance to win, to go to the quarter-final and play against Holland. I cannot believe that we’re going home today. We thought that we would continue our journey here,” he said.
Rangnick said his team now had to capitalise on their momentum and ensure qualification for the World Cup, which would be for the first time since 1998.
One player who may no longer figure is striker Marko Arnautovic, who hinted Tuesday’s defeat could be his last outing for the national side.
“It’s very bitter, it’s madness that we left the game like this,” Arnautovic said. “For us, it’s over. The coach said ‘chin up’.”
“It could be that it’s my last game,” he added. — Agencies
