Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick has called for his team to aim for victory against the Netherlands on Tuesday, to avoid a potentially convoluted qualification scenario. A win would secure Austria a top-two finish in Group D.
Should they draw or lose, Austria could end up in third place and would then rely on qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams.
Rangnick said, “Naturally, I’d prefer to finish first, but for that to happen, we need to win and have France not win – both of which are unlikely.”
He continued, “So, I’m fine with being second, but the third-place situation is too complex. I’ve tried to analyze it, but it’s too intricate, so I’ve given up on that.”
He emphasized the main objective: “The most important thing is to reach the Round of 16, and then we’ll take it from there.”
In the 2020 UEFA European Championship, Austria made history by reaching the knockout stage of a major international tournament for the first time since 1954, and they hope to progress even further this time to the quarter-finals.
Austria captain Marko Arnautovic expressed his enjoyment of the Euro 2024 campaign and looked forward to the team’s potential progression. “It’s fantastic, it’s fun,” the forward noted, “The ideal scenario is to beat the Netherlands and then see what happens next. For now, Tuesday’s game is crucial.”
Rangnick: Too complicated to consider third-place scenarios – beat the Netherlands for a straightforward second spot. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/rangnick-too-complicated-to-consider-third-place-scenarios-beat-the-netherlands-for-a-straightforward-second-spot.html
