3:1 against Poland

European Championship: Austria vs Poland LIVE from 6pm

Huge jubilation for the Austrians - the all-important 1st victory at the European Championships has been clinched!

(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

Austria is not yet doomed at the 17th European Football Championship - thanks to a 3:1 win against Poland, Team Red-White-Red can still dream of reaching the round of 16! Thanks to goals from Gernot Trauner, Christoph Baumgartner and Marko Arnautović, who left their mark on the "Bialo-Czerwoni" in Berlin's Olympic Stadium ...

Red and white (and red) - with a little imagination, a look around the large oval of Berlin's Olympic Stadium could make you feel like you were at an Austrian home game, especially when the teams marched in. Admittedly, in the "right combination" from an Austrian perspective, "only" 25,000 of the 71,000 spectators in the stands of the home ground of German second division club Hertha BSC wore the colors - but Ralf Rangnick's team had triggered a veritable migration of people to Germany with their performances in recent months and years ...

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

Poland behind after more offensive anthem
While the Poles were able to set the first "offensive accents" during the intonation of the anthems of both countries with their racy, jagged and forward-pushing "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" against Austria's deliberately solemn "Land of the Mountains", the Sturm und Drang of Wojciech Szczęsny and Co. was soon over after the whistle by referee Halil Umut Meler.

Instead, it was Rangnick's team, which had changed three positions compared to the France game - Trauner and Philipp Lienhart for Kevin Danso and Max Wöber, and Arnautović instead of Michael Gregoritsch - who, as if stung by a tarantula, set off towards the Polish goal from the kick-off. Like a pack of hungry wolves in search of feeding prey, Konrad Laimer, Marcel Sabitzer and Co. attacked the Poles deep in their own half, with team boss Michał Probierz's side barely able to break free.

Trauner heads Austria into a 1:0 lead
It was therefore no surprise that both the first shot on goal after 1:02 minutes and the first corner kick in minute 5 belonged to the Austrians - both times it was Bologna legionnaire Stefan Posch who was responsible. And it was almost less surprising that the first goal of the game was also scored by Red-White-Red: New signing Gernot Trauner crowned the strong opening phase with an unstoppable header to make it 1:0 for Austria (9') after strong preparatory work from Mwene on the left.

After a promising attacking co-production between Christoph Baumgartner and Marko Arnautovic (15th) and a shot from Sabitzer (16th/clearly off target), the Austrian team were then challenged in defense for the first time: But when Piotr Zieliński shot from around 16 meters, Philipp Mwene threw himself in between. Referee Meler correctly ignored the outraged Polish calls for a handball penalty ...

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Baumgartner and Arnautović miss the 2:0
Nevertheless, the "Bialo-Czerwoni" took heart from their first successful attacking move and less than two minutes later they were back in the Austrian penalty area, but Nicola Zalewski shot over from around 12 meters. After that, Arnautović and Co. twice had to contend with the centimetres that spoke for the Poles and prevented a possible 2:0 for Red-White-Red.

First, Baumgartner came up a touch short against the outrunning Szczęsny after a long Grillitsch pass behind the Polish defense (22') and then Arnautović couldn't get the ball past the Polish goalkeeper even after a "Baumi" pass. However, it would have been an offside goal anyway ...

Piątek shocks ÖFB team with the equalizer
Curious: Poland star Robert Lewandowski, who was initially left out of the starting eleven due to a recent muscle fibre tear, was "caught" by the TV cameras apparently passing on tips to his team boss in the style of a silent post - tips that apparently worked. Because suddenly it was 1:1 instead of 2:0 for Austria.

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After a corner kick, Austria's backline was not careful enough for once and, after a Bednarek shot was blocked by Trauner, Krzysztof Piątek dusted off the ball to equalize against the Poles, who were outnumbered 4:2 in front of Patrick Pentz's goal (30'). The equalizer did not come completely out of nowhere for the "Bialo-Czerwoni", who were set up in a 3-5-2 formation by their team boss; for around a quarter of an hour, they were the slightly better team on the pitch of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

However, Austria shook off the shock of conceding a goal relatively quickly and the second goal for the Red-White-Red should have come in the 39th minute: But Baumgartner, Sabitzer and Arnautović, storming forward after a quick switch in 3-on-2 superiority, squandered the good chance, Sabitzer's finish was blocked. Just before the break, Austria's fans had goalkeeper Pentz to thank as he made a brilliant save from a Zieliński free-kick to prevent his team from going 2-1 down (45').

(Bild: AFP/Ronny Hartmann)

Trauner has to come off, Lewandowski comes in
While Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski remained on the bench for the time being after the restart, Austrian team boss Rangnick reacted at the break and brought on Patrick Wimmer for Florian Grillitsch. The Wolfsburg man took over Baumgartner's role on the right wing, who in turn replaced Laimer in the middle - as he moved into Grillitsch's previous place alongside Nicolas Seiwald.

Posch not kissed by the goddess of luck
And just like in half 1, Austria also owned the opening phase in half 2 - and as in half 1, Posch was again responsible for the first shots at the Polish goal: however, he had not been kissed by the goddess of luck with either a shot (50th / after Laimer's pass) or a header after a corner (52nd).

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Then, just before the hour mark, a bit of bad news for all Austria fans: goalscorer Trauner was unable to continue due to a thigh injury and was replaced by Danso, who had played in defense against France.

Baumgartner scores the decisive goal to make it 2:1
Poland coach Probierz also changed (his) goalscorer almost at the same time, with Robert Lewandowski coming on for Piątek. The Barca superstar was yellow-carded just a few minutes later after an elbow check in an aerial duel (64') and then had to watch Austria take the lead again just minutes later. After preparatory work from Alexander Prass, who had replaced the exhausted Mwene, and a cross from Arnautović, Baumgartner scored with a low shot from 16 meters to make it 2:1 for Austria (66').

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Arnautović scores from the penalty spot to make it 3:1
In contrast to the first half, the red-white-red team did not allow the Poles back into the game, repeatedly forcing their opponents deep into their own half - and they also created further chances. While Wimmer failed to beat Szczesny from eleven meters after an ideal pass from Baumgartner (75'), Arnautović was successful a little later, also from eleven meters: Austria's former star scored from the penalty spot to make it 3:1 after Sabitzer had suddenly found himself alone in front of the Polish goal and Szczesny's defensive action had been ruled illegal by the referee (77') - "Arnie's" shot landed in the net.

In the end, the ÖFB team secured a 3:1 victory, even though Posch (83rd shot from the edge of the penalty area) and Laimer (85th shot from an acute angle) missed good opportunities to make it 4:1 - and the chances of reaching the last 16 of this European Championship now look very good again. For Poland, on the other hand, the 0-0 draw between the Netherlands and France in the evening match in Group D means they are out of the group stage and the "Bialo-Czerwoni" are firmly cemented in last place.

The result:
Poland - Austria 1:3 (1:1)
Berlin, Olympia-Stadion, 71,000 spectators, referee Meler (TUR)

Goals: 0:1 (9') Trauner, 1:1 (30') Piatek, 1:2 (66') Baumgartner, 1:3 (78' / penalty) Arnautović

Yellow cards: Slisz, Moder, Lewandowski, Szczesny or Wimmer, Arnautovic

Poland: Szczesny - Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior - Frankowski, Piotrowski (46. Moder), Slisz (75. Grosicki), Zalewski - Zielinski (87. Urbanski) - Piatek (60. Swiderski), Buksa (60. Lewandowski)
Austria: Pentz - Posch, Trauner (59. Danso), Lienhart, Mwene (63. Prass) - Seiwald, Grillitsch (46. Wimmer) - Baumgartner (81. Schmid), Laimer, Sabitzer - Arnautović (81. Gregoritsch)