RALF RANGNICK didn't sleep a wink before his Austria side shocked Holland to top Group D with victory in Berlin.
Marcel Sabitzer came up trumps with an 80th-minute winner for Das Team as the Dutch were punished for a disorganised display, which still saw them through to the Euro 2024 knockout stages as one of the four best third-placed sides.
"I had a sleepless night yesterday, admitted Rangnick. "It's incredible to finish top of the group that was the hardest possible based on UEFA coefficients.
We started with an unlucky own-goal France, dealt with all the pressure put on us to win against Poland, and then to end as group winners is something very special" against Austria have certainly emerged as dark horses at this summer's tournament and their energetic display was capped off by an emphatic strike from former Manchester United midfielder Sabitzer.
"If you beat the Netherlands and win the group, then you can't be that bad," said Sabitzer.
"When you score the winning goal and win the group, it doesn't get any better than that. But now we need to calm down and clear our heads."
This story is from the June 26, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
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This story is from the June 26, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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