Ralf Rangnick’s men finish top of Group D at Euro 2024 after a fine win on Matchday 3. Check out the best facts, stats and live Opta data with our Netherlands vs Austria stats page.
Few gave them much of a hope before a ball was kicked, but Austria remarkably progress to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 as Group D winners ahead of France and the Netherlands thanks to Tuesday’s entertaining 3-2 win over the latter in Berlin.
Thirty-six years to the day since the Netherlands won Euro 1988, Tuesday’s defeat provided another succinct reminder of how far off being considered genuine contenders they are, ultimately finishing third in the group – though that is enough for them to go through.
Austria, on the other hand, had been one of the tournament’s most impressive teams across the first two matchdays, even taking into account that they lost one of them narrowly to France. Ralf Rangnick’s high-octane, eye-catching football caught the imagination of neutrals and has yielded results.
Make no mistake, this was a deserved victory even if not necessarily one-sided. Austria may not have been facing one of the great Netherlands teams, but Ronald Koeman still has plenty of talent at his disposal; the issue here was they largely looked like lots of spare parts haphazardly thrown together rather than a cohesive team. The term ‘cohesive team’ could certainly be used to describe Austria, however, who refused to bow to their more illustrious opponents and wouldn’t be pegged back.
They were feisty, furious and forward-thinking, and while this wasn’t straightforward, Austria always looked calm when the Netherlands clawed things back.
Warning signs were there pretty much right from the start for the Netherlands as they looked nervous in the face of Austria’s intensity. The early opening goal in the sixth minute might have been fortuitous, but it was a just reward as Donyell Malen turned Alexander Prass’ low cross into his own goal.
The earliest own goal in Euros history and Austria’s second goal of the tournament inside the first 15 minutes of a game, it was indicative of the urgency Rangnick’s side have been playing with – especially during the first halves of matches.
It got to the point where Austria fans were shouting “olé” as early as the 19th minute. Premature? Perhaps, but it highlighted their confidence in this team – well-placed confidence at that.
Furthermore, it shouldn’t be ignored that Austria held key midfielders in Christoph Baumgartner and Konrad Laimer back for fear of suspension. And yet, they still performed admirably, with Rangnick’s men having 61% of the ball in the first 20 minutes.
Clear-cut chances may not have flowed for the Austrians, with their first actual shot not arriving until the 30th minute. But they didn’t really need to pepper the Dutch goal as they had little to worry about at the other end, a poor Malen miss aside.
It was in the midfield where the game was being won and lost in the first period. While Austria had four midfielders record at least three ball recoveries before half-time, the Netherlands had just one make more than two.
Sure, Austria sometimes went a little far, with their 10 fouls before the break the fourth most by a team in the first half of a Euro 2024 match, but it encapsulated a tenacious approach that the Oranje really struggled to cope with. In fact, Koeman was clearly so frustrated with the midfield battle that Joey Veerman was withdrawn after just 35 minutes.
It certainly didn’t all go Austria’s way, though. A subtle half-time tweak from Koeman seemingly inspired an equaliser just after the break; Lutsharel Geertruida moved more centrally and it was from there he won possession back in his own half to spring a rapid breakaway. Veerman’s replacement, Xavi Simons, then fed Cody Gakpo and his finish was cool.
Arriving just one minute and 11 seconds after the interval, that was the Netherlands’ earliest goal after half-time since October 2013 and was in keeping with the marked improvement they made on their first-half display.
They ended up seeing 64% of the ball across the second half and managed 13 touches in the opposition’s box after the break compared to Austria’s four.
But Austria’s spirit was going to take some dampening.
The brilliant Schmid had set the tone for the Austrians with his efforts off the ball, his 10 possession regains – all in the first period – bettered by only five players in a single game at this tournament. But he also impacted things in the box, his header going in off the foot of Stefan de Vrij to restore the lead.
Another twist awaited as the much-maligned Memphis Depay capped a fine individual performance with a smart volleyed finish to make it 2-2 15 minutes from time, but there was always a sense Austria were not going to be denied.
There had been a clinical aura to them throughout the game in almost every aspect, so Marcel Sabitzer’s emphatic strike from a tight angle wasn’t especially surprising even with the Netherlands pushing hard at the other end.
It proved decisive, and it was fitting that the man who became the first Austrian to play 10 Euros matches got the goal to confirm their first ever finish as group winners at the tournament. They’ll face Czech Republic, Georgia or Turkey in the last 16.
The Netherlands progress too, though it’s fair to say their qualification – to face an as yet undetermined group winner – is accompanied by a considerably different mood, with it difficult to imagine the Oranje going much deeper into the tournament.
Austria, though, look capable of troubling anyone.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Netherlands vs Austria stats from their Euro 2024 Group D clash in Berlin.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Netherlands vs Austria: Post-Match Facts
- Austria have reached the knockout stages in their last two appearances at the UEFA European Championships (eliminated in the last 16 at Euro 2020 against Italy), having not made it out of their group in their previous two editions of the competition (2008 and 2016).
- Austria have won consecutive UEFA European Championship games for the first time, winning four of their last six group stage matches in the competition (L2), having not won any of their first six such games (D2 L4).
- Netherlands’ Donyell Malen’s own goal after five minutes 48 seconds was the earliest in UEFA European Championship history. Indeed, of the 27 own goals scored in the competition all-time, two thirds (67%) of them have come in the last two editions – 11 in 2020 and seven so far at Euro 2024.
- Netherlands lost their first group stage game at the UEFA European Championships since 2012 against Portugal (2-1), while they last lost a match in the competition despite scoring 2+ goals in 2004, against Chechia (3-2).
- Austria have ended a run of seven consecutive defeats to the Netherlands in all competitions, with this their first such victory since a 3-2 friendly win in 1990, while its their first competitive win against the Oranje since 1984 (World Cup Qualifier).
- Austria scored their sixth goal at Euro 2024, their most in any edition of the UEFA European Championship and their most in a major tournament (World Cup/Euros) since the 1978 World Cup (7).
- Donyell Malen’s sixth-minute own goal was the first Netherlands have ever conceded at the UEFA European Championship, while it’s also the first such goal Austria have benefitted from in the competition.
- Cody Gakpo has scored five of the Netherlands’ last eight group stage goals at major tournaments (World Cup/Euros), with no other Dutch player netting more than once in these matches.
- Marcel Sabitzer became the first Austrian to play 10 matches at the UEFA European Championship, scoring his first goal in the competition from his 22nd shot.
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