Poland vs Austria – Euro 2024: Live score, team news and updates as the 74,000 capacity stadium plays host to crunch
Poland 0-1 Austria
Just as I say that, Piotr Zielinski actually decides to get Poland moving forward.
He drives into the area and the ball then seems to hit an Austrian hand, but the referee waves it away.
Poland are screaming for a spot kick, but it would be harsh…
Poland 0-1 Austria
I can only see this going one way.
Poland have barely touched the ball and now it’s Marcel Saboitzer’s turn to have a go inside the area.
He tries a first-time half-volley, but it’s deflected harmlessly to Wojciech Szczesny.
‘Austria’s approach has paid a dividend’
Ian Herbert, Mail Sport, at the Olympiastadion:
The rapid start the Austrians are always looking for – and a goal. Precision half-volleyed cross from Phillip Mwene, who’s started this game very well, and Gernot Trauner leaps to screw in an unchallenged header. Defender could have done better. Keeper should have done better. But even the Austrians’ kick off routine was designed to run at the Poles. The approach has paid a dividend.
Poland 0-1 Austria
You have to fear a little for Poland here.
Austria are not England, they will not try and sit back to protect their lead. Straight away they go for the jugular again.
Poland do manage to get it clear, but it’s just wave after wave of Austrian attacks.
They are relentless.
GOAL!!! Poland 0-1 Austria (Trauner 9′)
Austria get their customary early goal!
You can’t say they haven’t deserved it and it’s the centre-back Gernot Trauner who heads them in front.
It comes after persistent work from Phiollipp Mwene on the left, he clips in a lovely ball for Trauner who heads in at the near post.
The Olympiastadion erupts.
Poland 0-0 Austria
Marco Arnautovic is proving to be a nuisance for Poland at the moment.
He is holding the ball up so well, using his strength to keep it before going down and getting a foul.
It’s already worked three times, and Poland just can’t deal with him.
Poland 0-0 Austria
Austria have come out of the traps so quickly.
Marco Arnautovic’s eyes light up as the ball is clipped toward him at the back post, but it doesn’t fall quite right for him.
If the former Stoke man was a step or two to his right, it would have fallen beautifully for him to hammer home.
Poland 0-0 Austria
There is a lot of booing from the crowd…
Why? Because Gernot Trauner is penalised for bringing down Adam Buksa, and I must admit, I’m not sure it’s a foul, but the referee thinks it is.
It comes after a sustained period of Austria pressure, they aren’t allowing Poland to breathe.
Poland 0-0 Austria
I mean, Austria have indeed started brightly.
After just 30 seconds Marcel Sabitzer attempts a low-driven cross from the left.
It’s blocked, but it proves their intentions for this match. It’s got me excited, that’s for sure.
KICK-OFF: Poland 0-0 Austria
It’s very smoky in Berlin…
We are about to see if what Ian has just said proves to be true. Can Austria score early?
They get us underway…
‘Austria have a habit of scoring early’
Ian Herbert, Mail Sport, at the Olympiastadion:
Forward Nicolas Seiwald told UEFA.com that Rangnick was ‘creating a new buzz in the country.’ It was Rangnick who taught Jurgen Klopp what effective pressing really looks like when his newly promoted Hoffenheim side defeated the current Liverpool manager’s Dortmund 4-1 in September 2008. ‘We need to get to where they are now,’ a devastated Klopp said in the aftermath of that hammering. ‘Tactical behaviour is not like riding a bike, unfortunately. You have to practice, again and again.’ Look out for a very high energy start from the Austrians. They have a habit of scoring early because of it
Here come the teams…
Just look at the sea of red greeting the players.
The two teams arise from the tunnel to predominantly Austria fans waving their flags. It really is some spectacle.
Then it’s time for the national anthems, one of my favourite parts of the day. I love hearing fans display their passion for their country.
Austria go first, a decent rendition…
But the Poland fans blow them out of the water, in my opinion, despite having less supporters in the crowd.
Austria’s fine form
Yes, they did lose their last game, but they have still be in brilliant form recently.
Their loss against France is one of only two defeats in Austria’s last 17 international matches.
Not bad, is it…
Can they get back to winning ways today?
Austria fans in fine voice
I alluded to the noise Austria fans were making, now you can listen too it thanks to our reporter, Ian Herbert.
It’s fair to say, Austrian fans are outnumbering Poland fans two to one. They are a dominating force out there.
Seeing these videos makes me jealous of all the fans who get to be a part of such occasions.
I envy them hugely (I still love my job though).
Group D as it stands…
Right, let’s take a quick look at the group then.
Both Austria and Poland lost their first matches against France and the Netherlands, respectively.
They put up a fight, though, and will need to show that again today if they are to get out of the group.
Today is a must-win for both sides with the French and the Dutch facing off later.
Points on the board are needed.
‘Almost certainly Lewandowski’s last international tournament
Ian Herbert, Mail Sport, at the Olympiastadion:
Despite Polish fans’ hopes that Robert Lewandowski would start, he is on the bench. This is almost certainly his last international tournament, so the 35-year-old’s hopes of finishing his Poland career in style are resting on the outcome in the sultry late afternoon heat of Berlin’s spectacular Olympic Stadium.It’s the battle of the eagles here. Both teams wear eagles on their crest. The Poles’ white eagle is a bit more uncompromising if you ask me. The Austrians have an unspecified and rather bland breed on theirs. But the Austrians are hitting it with their noise. A sea of red and white flags away to my left and they’re making all the sound
Final preparations
Kick-off is edging closer…
Both teams are going through the motions ahead of this monumental clash for them.
Surely, Austria will be heading into this match with a spring in their step knowing Robert Lewandowski is sat on the bench and not starting.
It gives them the advantage.
‘Loser will almost certainly be going home’
Ian Herbert, Mail Sport, at the Olympiastadion:
This might not seem the biggest of the day but it has the greatest element of jeopardy.With both sides facing tough third games – Poland face France next and Austria go up against the Netherlands – a win and points on the board are imperative here. If there is a loser, that team will almost certainly be going home before the knock-out stage
Atmosphere building
Wow, what a sigfht this is.
The Olympiastadion is a sea of red right now (both team’s colours), and it’s Austria making the most noise.
This European Championship has brought some special atmospheres, and this is certainly up there.
Berlin is bouncing.
And my race is underway…
Tamara, you are always too kind to me!
I’m happy to be back in the hot seat for another blog shift, this European Championship has served up so many crackers.
This match is simply huge for both sides in what is being pinned as the ‘group of death’.
A draw won’t be good enough for either side, they just have to get all three points.
Surely, there will be goals.
My race is run…
… but my esteemed colleague Harry Bamforth is on hand to take you through the remainder of the build-up, minute-by-minute match-play, and all the reaction at full-time.
Until next time!
TEAM NEWS: in brief
Rangnick opts to make three changes from his XI to face France in their opener, swapping Philipp Lienhart, Gernot Trauner, and Marko Arnautovic in for Dansko – whose shoulder made tournament-shifting contact with Kylian Mbappe – Wober, who scored the only goal in the clash (for the opposing side), and Gregoritsch.
It will be of some disappointment to Michal Probierz that Lewandowski is on the bench rather than in his XI – he otherwise makes four changes, swapping in Pawel Dawidowicz, Jakub Piotrowski, Bartosz Slisz, and Krystztof Piatek in for Salamon, Romanczuk, Szymanski, and Urbanski.
TEAM NEWS: How Poland and Austria line up
Lewandowski starts on the bench!
PLAYER RATINGS: Which Poland defender struggled in his head-to-head battle?
Last time out, Poland thought they had subdued Netherlands to the point of the two sides walking away with a point each – until former Man United striker Wout Weghorst came off the bench and put paid to that idea just two minutes after his introduction.
But how did Poland fare across the full 90 minutes? Here, Mail Sport assessed the starting XI and their crucial substitutions in the team’s opening tie.
PLAYER RATINGS: Which star shone brightest for the Netherlands?
Can Austria prove their quality against Poland
Ralf Rangnick has worked wonders since his appointment to the Austria dugout, and after cutting a swathe through qualifying, his Austrian machine were more than ready to get under way in Germany. Only to come up against… France.
Austria, it must be said, acquitted themselves well. For all of France’s stratospheric talent, they were frequently frustrated by red-and-white ranks, and Rangnick’s side will no doubt feel hard-done-by that they weren’t able to claw a point back from the former World Cup winners.
Poland, therefore, could prove rich pickings for the former Man United’s manager’s side. One thing’s for certain – their fans are in full voice ahead of this afternoon’s clash.
Wojciech Szczesny sings Lewandowski’s praises
The Juventus goalkeeper sounded quietly confident of the goalscoring behemoth’s return, as he opined on his team-mate’s greatness yesterday afternoon:
He is the best Polish player of all time and regardless of how well others will play, because Adam Buksa played a very good match against the Netherlands – he scored a very important goal for us – the fact that Robert is on the pitch is changing our overall approach and our opponents approach as well. It is natural that his presence can only help us. When it comes to Robert, the more leaders we have on the pitch, the better. Having him makes a big difference. Robert’s performance makes a big difference and I know the Austrians won’t be happy he is fit.
A sea of red and white, and red and white
Supporting the red and white team should – barring a draw – see you go home very happy this evening.
Fans are already packing out the stadium with over an hour to go until kick-off, and its the Polish contingent who have thrown down the gaunlet with red-and-white dressing first. Your move, Austria.
Could this be an afternoon for Europe’s best PE teacher?
There’s no shortage of players with different-than-expected origin stories at this Euros. Take Slovakia head coach Francesco Calzona. Unconvinced by toiling in the third division as a player, he started working as a coffee distributor – only for the lure of the dugout to prove too strong. Now, his side’s beating FIFA’s third-strongest team, Belgium.
Even more wackier is the backstory for one of Ralf Rangnick’s number, Maximilian Entrup. A handful of years ago, he was training as a PE teacher and playing semi-pro.
He was on the bench against France, but could he get a run out against Poland? Stranger things have happened…
Austria’s Entrup set for Euro 2024 milestone after teacher training
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the second of today’s afternoon kick-offs – and the first of our Group D ties – as Poland gear up to take on Austria at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Every group stage match is a crucial one if you’re trying to plot a course through a cohort dubbed the ‘Group of Death’. But both Poland and Austria failed to secure even a solitary point in their opening clashes, making this match a tooth-and-claw scrap if either side have a hope of sneaking through to the knockout stages as a best third-placed team.
One major boost for Poland could be the return of a player Austria – or any side – would give their eye-teeth for: Robert Lewandowski. The Barcelona striker missed the first match through injury, but is hoping to start off his tournament in the German capital in just a few short hours.
You know the drill by now: kick-off is at 5pm, and in the meantime, we’ll be bringing you all the team news, build-up, and more, ahead of the whistle.
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