Austria welcomed Croatia at the start of the new Nations League season. The team of new coach Ralf Rangnick surprised – and convinced with a clear victory.
Ralf Rangnick has made a dream start as the new team boss of the Austrian national soccer team. The long-standing Bundesliga coach coached the world number 34. on his debut to a memorable 3-0 win (1-0) at the start of the Nations League against vice world champions Croatia.
Captain Marko Arnautovic (41st minute), Augsburg’s Michael Gregoritsch (54th) and Munich’s Marcel Sabitzer (57th) scored the goals for the Austrians, who failed in the World Cup play-offs under Rangnick’s predecessor Franco Foda in March .
That’s how the game went
After initial problems, the guests in Osijek played very effectively and used their chances ice cold. It was the first win against the Croatians, who suffered their first defeat since the knockout round at the European Championship last year – after nine games.
Champions League winner David Alaba from Real Madrid was missing from Rangnick’s team, the former Munich player did not travel at all due to stress. Five Bundesliga professionals were in the starting XI: Sabitzer, Gladbach’s Stefan Lainer, Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer, Wolfsburg’s Xaver Schlager and Mainz’s Karim Onisiwo.
The Rangnick-typical high pressing was initially unsuccessful. The Croatians, with Dortmund’s Marin Pongracic, Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa and Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric in the starting line-up, found playful solutions, dominated the action even without their star Luka Modric, who sat on the bench for an hour, and created clearer scoring chances.
The Austrians only got stronger towards the end of the first half, but the lead through Arnautovic’s 33rd international goal came as a surprise. In the second half, Rangnick brought on Christopher Trimmel and Gregoritsch from Berlin, who made it 2-0 after a remarkable combination. Sabitzer followed up with a long-range shot.