Superb Sabitzer strike seals top spot for Austria after five-goal thriller

Marcel Sabitzer’s 80th minute winner over the Netherlands secured Ralf Rangnick’s side top spot in Group D with a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Beginning the match in third place, Austria’s final spot is just reward for a victory which was created by the intensity they played with from the first whistle in what will be among the games of the tournament.

Donyell Malen put the ball in his own net to set off the scoring, but Ronald Koeman moving full back Lutsharel Geertruida into midfield at half time changed the game and after Cody Gakpo’s goal levelled matters, they could easily have taken the lead.

The character of this Austrian side was shown by them riding out this storm to take the lead on the hour mark from Romano Schmid and then once more from the captain Sabitzer, when many sides would have lost heart following Memphis Depay’s equaliser, which was disallowed initially.

The win means Austria top Group D on six points, followed by France on five and the Netherlands guaranteed a third-place finish on four.

Austria winning the group was a great surprise, at the start of the tournament and before this match, but it is far from undeserved.

They could easily have secured a point from the first match against France, were exciting against Poland and exhilarating at times in this contest which, it should be taken into account, they could have played out in a draw and been certain of playing in the last 16.

Their expertise in applying the press is not a surprise given the godfather of the system Ralf Ragnick is their coach, but to be such a force without key men David Alaba, goalkeeper Alexander Schlager and Xavier Schlager has been a great challenge.

And now they are looking like a route to the semi-final which would go through the runner-up in Group F (at present Turkey) and then perhaps Belgium or another side from Group E.

The Wunderteam in 1934 and Austria’s side in 1954 reached the semi-finals of the World Cup but have not been close to doing this since then. It could yet happen this time around.

He epitomised everything which was strong about the Austrian performance and is a little unfortunate his superb headed goal, which put his side 2-1 in front, will be eclipsed by Marcel Sabitzer’s brilliant winner. His work-rate was exceptional with and without the ball, closing down the Dutch on the left and then finding space when his team got the ball – and remaining cool in possession.

Netherlands: Verbruggen 5; Geertruida 6, De Vrij 5, Van Dijk 6, Ake 6; Schouten 6, Veerman 6; Malen 4, Reijnders 6, Gakpo 7; Depay 8.

Subs: Simons 7, van de Ven 6, Wijnaldum 6, Weghorst 7.

Austria: Pentz 7; Posch 7, Lienhart 8, Wober 7, Prass 8; Seiwald 7, Grillitsch 7; Schmid 9*, Sabitzer 8*, Wimmer 7; Arnautovic 7.

Subs: Baumgartner 8, Laimer 6, Querfeld 6, Gregoritsch 6. Weimann.

6′ GOAL! NETHERLANDS 0-1 AUSTRIA (MALEN OG)! You can’t say Austria don’t deserve it but a very strange goal as Prass looks to square to Arnautovic in the box and Malen tracking back slides in and divert it inside the near post.

14′ GREAT CHANCE FOR REIJNDERS! Depay played in Reijnders and he passed wide to Gakpo who returned the ball inside the penalty area, but the Milan man skewed his effort horribly and it flew well wide.

24′ MALEN MISSES GREAT CHANCE TO LEVEL! Depay with a lovely touch to Reijnders and Malen, through on goal, scuffs his shot which drifts wide of the target.

47′ GOAL! NETHERLANDS (GAKPO) 1-1 AUSTRIA! Geertruida, who was moved into midfield at half time, won the ball from Grillitsch and then played in Simons. He took the ball to 30 yards out before playing in Gakpo whose curling finish from just inside the left hand side of the penalty area was perfect.

59′ GOAL! NETHERLANDS 1-2 AUSTRIA (SCHMID)! Grillitsch’s cross from the by-line found Schmid eight yards out and he powered the ball low past Verbruggen and De Vrij could not clear the ball off the line.

78′ GOAL! NETHERLANDS (DEPAY) 2-2 AUSTRIA! Weghorst got up highest to nod down to the Atletico Madrid forward who controlled the ball on his thigh (not with his hand) and volleyed home.

80′ GOAL! NETHERLANDS 2-3 AUSTRIA (SABITZER)! A beautiful through-ball from Baumgartner found the midfielder through on goal and from a tight angle he lashed the ball high into the net above Verbruggen.

84′ BALL IN THE NET….BUT OFFSIDE! And again Verbruggen is beaten at the near post. This time Baumgartner looked like he would square the ball before squeezing it inside the keeepr’s near post.

86′ WEGHORST NOT FAR AWAY FROM AN EQUALISER! A long deep cross from Geertruida and Weghorst almost emulated Robin van Persie’s famous flying header against Spain but the ball flew a yard too high.