Austria is set to face Poland in their second Group Stage match at the European Championship, a crucial encounter for both teams after their opening defeats. Ahead of the game, Austria’s head coach Ralf Rangnick has revealed that while they anticipate Bayern Munich’s star striker Robert Lewandowski to return, his team is ready.
Lewandowski missed the first match due to injury, but with Poland needing a win, the Barcelona forward could be rushed back into action. Rangnick stated that this was within their expectations. He commented, “We believe Lewandowski will play; he’s their top player, but it won’t alter our tactics. We’re aware of how dangerous he is in the box, which will push us to control the game even more and limit his opportunities.”
Rangnick described tomorrow’s fixture as a decisive match akin to a direct knockout contest. He added, “Theoretically, a draw wouldn’t eliminate us after two games, but Poland would have to beat France in the last round, and we’d have to defeat the Netherlands. Neither of us wants to be in that position.”
The Austrian coach reinforced that his team’s objective remains to progress from the group stage, requiring at least one victory, ideally two. Rangnick said, “I promised to lead the team to the Euros, and we achieved that. Then, we said we wanted to reach the Round of 16, and for that, we must win at least one match, and if possible, both remaining games.”
Austria Coach: We Expected Lewandowski to Play, But Our Approach Won’t Change. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/10733.html
