6:1 against Turkey

Austria vs. Turkey- LIVE from 20.45 hrs

Great jubilation among Austria's players around triple-packer Michael Gregoritsch!

(Bild: GEPA)

What a triumph: Austria's national soccer team scored a 6:1 (2:1) victory over Turkey in a European Championship test in Vienna, their fifth success in a row! Michael Gregoritsch scored three times (44th, 48th, 59th/penalty). Xaver Schlager (2nd), Christoph Baumgartner (79th) and Maximilian Entrup (95th) were also on target in ÖFB's highest win since 2019. 

As announced, ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick fielded his best currently available formation in front of 38,500 spectators. Alongside stars David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic, Marcel Sabitzer was also missing. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder remained in the hotel with flu-like symptoms. Konrad Laimer, fourth in the captain's hierarchy, wore the bow in his place.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

As Sabitzer's replacement, Rangnick preferred Romano Schmid to Patrick Wimmer on the left wing. There were five changes to the starting line-up compared to the 2-0 win in Slovakia on Saturday. Regular goalkeeper Alexander Schlager returned in place of Patrick Pentz. Stefan Posch and Maximilian Wöber started in defense, while Xaver Schlager replaced Florian Grillitsch in midfield.

Schlager scored with a difficult clearance
As in Bratislava, the Austrians got off to a furious start. However, unlike Baumgartner's world-record goal, the ball was not in the net after six seconds, but "only" after 103 seconds. After a borderline ball win by Schmid against Salih Özcan, which many referees would have decided was a foul, Turkey goalie Ugurcan Cakir saved a shot from Baumgartner. Schlager scored with a difficult clearance.

After that, however, Turkey took command. The team led by top star Hakan Calhanoglu were very confident in their build-up play and repeatedly evaded the Austrians' pressing. The Turks made their first dangerous appearance in front of the Austrian goal through Kerem Aktürkoglu, whose effort from the edge of the penalty area narrowly missed the far corner (6').

Calhanoglu slammed a penalty under the crossbar
A penalty was awarded after a VAR check: Kevin Danso had awkwardly gone to the ball arm first at a corner. Calhanoglu slammed the ball centrally under the crossbar from the spot (25'). After 416 minutes without conceding a goal, it was the ÖFB goal again. It was the first time since 1997 that the Austrians had recorded four clean sheets in a row. A fifth consecutive win without conceding a goal would have been a first in the association's history.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

In the final stages of the first half, the ÖFB team came back into the game. After Phillipp Mwene won the ball, Calhanoglu blocked from Laimer (43'). A minute later, Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald made a decisive tackle after a sloppy clearance by the Turkey captain. The ball found its way to Gregoritsch, who scored with the help of Cakir with a shot from just outside the penalty area.

Gregoritsch out of control
After the break, Gregoritsch scored his first brace for the ÖFB team. The Freiburg striker headed home a Schmid corner from a free position. Ten minutes later, he was also allowed to score from the spot. After a situation that was originally wrongly whistled for offside, the video assistant awarded a penalty for a challenge on Laimer by Kaan Ayhan. Gregoritsch placed the ball in the left corner. It was the 29-year-old's 15th goal in his 53rd international match and his eighth in his last ten ÖFB appearances.

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

The Austrians had much more control of the game after the break. Goalkeeper Schlager had to intervene for the first time when Juventus super talent Kenan Yildiz pulled one back (66'). Rangnick only made his first substitution in the 70th minute, with Alexander Prass replacing Mwene at left-back. The supposed 4:2 goal by substitute Baris Alper Yilmaz was reversed after a video review.

Entrup scored his first goal in team kit
Instead, Austria were awarded another penalty for a foul by Cenk Özkacar on Posch on the edge of the box. This time Baumgartner was allowed to step up and the Leipzig professional scored for the third international match in a row. Deep into stoppage time, Hartberg striker Entrup scored his first goal in team kit with a header after an assist from Wimmer, who had also come on as a substitute. The ÖFB team recorded their highest win since a 6:0 victory against Latvia in the European Championship qualifiers in Salzburg in September 2019.

(Bild: GEPA)

Five consecutive victories were last achieved in the fall of 2020, also under Rangnick's predecessor Franco Foda. Of their last 14 international matches, Rangnick's team have only lost one. Austria had only won one of their last eight encounters with the Turks. For the first time since 1982, the ÖFB team also managed to start the year with two victories in a tournament. The two other test matches for the European Championship in Germany will follow in June. On June 4, they will play Serbia in Vienna before the final rehearsal for the European Championship against Switzerland in St. Gallen on June 8.

The result:
Austria - Turkey 6:1 (2:1)
Vienna, Ernst Happel Stadium, 38,500 spectators, referee Chiffi (ITA)

Goals: 1:0 (2.) X. Schlager, 1:1 (25th/hand penalty) Calhanoglu, 2:1 (44th) Gregoritsch, 3:1 (48th) Gregoritsch, 4:1 (59th) Gregoritsch, 5:1 Baumgartner (78th/penalty), 6:1 (95th) Entrup

Yellow cards: A. Schlager, Posch or Calhanoglu, Arda Güler, Kökcü

Austria: A. Schlager - Posch, Danso (88. Daniliuc), Wöber, Mwene (70. Prass) - Seiwald, X. Schlager - Laimer (88. Cham), Baumgartner (82. Wimmer), Schmid (81. Weimann) - Gregoritsch (82. Entrup)
Turkey: U. Cakir - Müldür, Demiral, Ayhan, Özkacar (77. Celik) - Özcan (61. Kökcü), Calhanoglu (88. Yüksek) - I. Kahveci (61. Akgün), Arda Güler (77. Ömür), Aktürkoglu (61. B. A. Yilmaz) - Yildiz