Ralf Rangnick has transformed Austria – victory over Netherlands ...

Austria have gone from strength to strength since Ralf Rangnick was appointed as manager in April 2022.

In an impressive European Championship qualifying campaign, they lost just one game (against Belgium), and Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over the Netherlands meant they finished top of their group at Euro 2024. A significant change in playing style has been achieved, with the team now playing an energetic and proactive game, which players have warmed to.

But how has he done it?

“It’s been almost two years since the coach and his team joined us, and since then we’ve seen a clear development,” said Marcel Sabitzer after beating the Netherlands.

“We were a bit passive against the ball before and we’ve definitely changed that. We’re strong against the ball now. Everyone knows that if they lose the ball, they have to immediately switch over and go on the chase.

“That’s probably the biggest difference but with the ball, we have a very good man (Rangnick) there who always gives us good input and creates spaces where we want to play.”

Austria’s improvements out of possession were on show in their first two Group D games against France and Poland, but the latter point Sabitzer mentioned proved fruitful in their last group game against the Dutch.

A change in personnel didn’t move them away from their preferred style of play of finding narrow forwards between the lines and the four combining to play through the opponent.

Behind striker Marko Arnautovic, Patrick Wimmer and Romano Schmid flanked Sabitzer, but the pair constantly occupied narrow positions instead of hugging the touchline.

The movement of Austria’s narrow front four manipulated the Netherlands’ defence in multiple ways.

First, they occupied the centre-back and full-back near the side Sabitzer was dropping to, allowing the Borussia Dortmund midfielder to receive between the lines.

Here, Wimmer and Arnautovic position themselves near Stefan de Vrij and Lutsharel Geertruida with Sabitzer near the centre circle…

When the Netherlands try to press, Sabitzer drops behind them to offer himself as a passing option. The key is the positioning of Arnautovic, Wimmer and Schmid.

Since Sabitzer is dropping away from Virgil van Dijk, the Liverpool centre-back can’t move diagonally to track him because it would create space in the defensive line that Schmid could attack from his narrow position.

Meanwhile, De Vrij and Geertruida are facing the same dilemma because the moment one of them moves up, it’s a two-versus-one situation against Arnautovic and Wimmer. Austria’s goalkeeper easily finds Sabitzer because of Schmid’s threat in behind, and Arnautovic and Wimmer pinning Netherlands’ right side of the defence.

It gave the Dutch a headache.

When one of the centre-backs decided to move up and track Sabitzer, it would create a gap in the defensive line, with the narrowness of Wimmer and Schmid allowing them to attack that space alongside Arnautovic.

Another problem for Ronald Koeman’s side was Austria’s advanced full-backs, who had acres of space to attack because Wimmer and Schmid were dragging Netherlands’ defenders inside the pitch.

In this example, Maximilian Wober carries the ball forward and Donyell Malen moves up to press him. Wimmer’s positioning has dragged Netherlands’ right-back infield, which allows Austria’s left centre-back to find the advancing Alexander Prass.

Prass then plays the ball across goal, but Schmid fails to turn the attack into a shot on target.

In another example, the Netherlands’ midfield three are dragged towards the side of the pitch to track Nicolas Seiwald, Florian Grillitsch and Sabitzer, and Arnautovic positions himself between De Vrij and Geertruida to pin the right-back and prevent him from moving forward.

Wimmer capitalises on all of this by moving inside the pitch to offer himself as a free passing option. Philipp Lienhart finds him…

… and that is the trigger for Austria’s left-back, Prass, to push forward — because Malen moves inside to contract Netherlands’ shape in an attempt to retrieve possession. Wimmer plays the ball to Arnautovic…

… and the centre-forward finds Prass’ run down the left. Arnautovic’s movement drags De Vrij out of position, and Wimmer attacks that space…

… but Jerdy Schouten drops to defend it and Prass’ cross is overhit.

That move, where Wimmer’s narrow positioning forces Geertruida inside and creates space for Prass out wide, led to Austria’s first goal in the game.

Here, Wimmer is in a narrow position in the left half-space, while Prass is calling for the ball out wide, and Sabitzer is moving towards the right side…

… dragging Schouten out of position and vacating the space between the lines.

Wimmer continues his diagonal movement inside the pitch, which forces the Netherlands right-back in-field and prevents De Vrij from moving up towards Arnautovic, who drops into the space in midfield to receive Lienhart’s pass.

Down the left wing, Prass advances…

… and Arnautovic finds him after Wimmer’s run has moved De Vrij and Geertruida away from the ball and the left-back.

Prass then tries to return the pass to Arnautovic, but Malen accidentally puts the ball into his own net.

In the second half, Koeman’s tactical tweaks improved the Netherlands on the ball by moving Geertruida inside in possession and building with a back three, while the introduction of Wout Weghorst provided them with an aerial outlet. But the movement of Austria’s forwards still caused them problems and helped Rangnick’s team win the game.

After Cody Gakpo equalised for the Netherlands, Schmid scored to make it 2-1. On this goal, he is in a narrow position on the right side with Arnautovic in the penalty box, when Prass finds Grillitsch’s run behind the defence.

Arnautovic’s presence towards the back post occupies Nathan Ake, the Dutch left-back, and allows Schmid to attack Grillitsch’s cross. Schmid then heads the ball into the bottom corner, and De Vrij guides it into the back of the net.

Koeman’s team managed to equalise for a second time, but again the movement of Austria’s front four put them back on top.

In the lead-up to the winner, Geertruida focuses on defending Prass and leaves Sabitzer — who moved to the left side after Christoph Baumgartner replaced Wimmer — to Schouten. Austria’s left-back plays the ball to Baumgartner…

… and Sabitzer attacks the space behind the defence when Schouten and De Vrij change their focus towards the ball. Baumgartner finds Sabitzer, who is onside because Michael Gregoritsch’s positioning towards the back post has forced Van Dijk deeper than his defensive line.

Sabitzer then fires in at the near post to make it 3-2.

The significance of this victory isn’t only limited to Euro 2024; the Netherlands had won their last seven matches against Austria.

It’s the result of a change in approach that has improved their overall performance and put the Austrian public behind their national team.

Austria’s squad is full of players who have been brought up playing this style of football — either playing within the Red Bull club network, of which Rangnick was the tactical architect, or working with coaches influenced by him. It suits them and it is something Rangnick recognises.

“The players know exactly how much time we invest in every training session, in every video analysis on what we do with the ball, and that’s why I believe the way we play suits the players perfectly,” the manager said after the game.

“That’s what it’s all about in the first place.”

(Top photo: Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)