Final result: Netherlands-Austria 2-3
Holland (Edited by Luca Esposito)
Verbruggen 6 – He concedes three goals without any kind of responsibility, he pays dearly for the defense’s black day.
Geertruida 5 – Surprised to replace Dumfries, he doesn’t repay the manager’s trust and suffers from start to finish.
De Vrij 5 – Also out of position for the 1-2 goal. While on the one hand he contains his Inter teammate Arnautovic well, on the other he suffers from Sabitzer’s physicality.
Van Dijk 4.5 – Responsibility for the second goal, but it’s on the third that he does it big by going up late and keeping Sabitzer in the game. Unforgivable for a player of his experience. So far, not an unforgettable European Championship for the Liverpool centre-back.
Ake 5 – He left the field visibly annoyed at the moment of the substitution, already in the first half he appeared nervous due to the lack of contribution from the wingers in the non-possession phase. Tactical misunderstanding that often saw him in numerical inferiority, unable to push forward as usual. However he did not shine and limited himself to the homework. From 65′ Van de Ven 5 – He had the task of pushing and delivering crosses, in truth he was almost never seen in the opponent’s half of the pitch. Inconclusive.
Reijnders 5 – A great chance to equalize, a sort of penalty in motion. He misses in a big way. Not a day to remember for the Milan midfielder. From 65′ Wjinaldum 5 – Not received.
Schouten 5 – Grillitsch almost man-marks him and limits his range of action a lot, it takes him a while to find the right position and he struggles in construction.
Veerman 4.5 – Four days to decide whether to reconfirm him after two insufficient matches, half an hour to replace him amid boos from part of the crowd. Slow and always struggling when Austria was in possession. From 30′ Simons 6 – The great outcast makes a good impact, despite alternating good plays with a few balls lost due to excessive selfishness.
Malen 5.5 – Nightmare start, scoring the seventh overall own goal of an almost record-breaking European Championship from this point of view. He has the merit of not getting discouraged and, in the long run, he is the most unpredictable in one-on-one situations. He is out due to a slight muscle problem. From 78′ Weighorst 6 – With Poland the winning goal, today a super support for the goal of the provisional 2-2.
Depay 6 – Gray day for the attacker, never in the thick of the game and imprecise at the net in the first half. He saves a horror performance for 75 minutes with a nice goal.
Gakpo 6 – The same goes for the ward mate.
Ronald Koeman 5 – First half like this with a Poland within reach, 0-0 without shining against France, today three goals against and a substitution after 30 minutes which certifies the deployment of a team that is not exactly right.
Austria (Edited by Luca Esposito)
Pentz 6 – Conveys confidence with several high outputs perfect for choice of tempo and timing. He can do nothing about the two opposing goals.
Posch 6 – He suffers a bit when the Orange wingers target him in the open field, but in the long run he takes measures and manages to limit the damage despite not having the best day of his career.
Wober 6 – He replaces a giant like Trauner and, all things considered, he doesn’t do badly.
Lienhart 6 – The yellow card immediately could have affected his game, especially because the Dutch offensive trio makes speed its best weapon. It doesn’t do any damage.
Practice 6 – Average between incisiveness in the attacking phase (complete with assists after a few minutes) and difficulties when not in possession. Malen jumps him often and willingly and is forced to stop him by force. Technically, however, he is one of the most interesting players in the squad.
Seiwald 6 – He starts quietly, he is one of the few who doesn’t shine in a high-level half hour from Austria. However, when you have to suffer to bring home the result, he comes out with his claws and recovers several balls close to his own penalty area.
Grillitsch 6 – Cross and delight. He is very good at man-marking Schouten, closing every passing line. It is he, however, who loses a bloody ball which allows the Netherlands to equalize. He redeems himself in a big way with a wonderful assist for Schmid. From the 65th minute Baumgartner 6 – Good approach, but he manages a couple of balls poorly in the final.
Wimmer 5 – The sore point of the day. Starting after two positive substitutions, he struggled to find the right position and risked a second yellow card twice until the inevitable substitution. From the 65th minute Querfeld 6 – Lots of quantity defending the 2-3.
Sabitzer 7 – He is the symbolic man of this team, an atypical striker given that he scores heavy and high-level goals despite playing above all for his teammates, sacrificing himself in a very physical battle with the opposing centre-backs.
Schmidt 6.5 – In the first half he had a couple of opportunities to break the deadlock, but was late to Prass’s crosses. Just when he was about to be replaced, here’s the diving header that allowed Austria to find their second lead. Not indifferent technical gesture, mix of power and precision.
Arnautovic 5 – Twice he could have put the result in the icebox, but he swerves from the center of the area, nullifying his teammates’ plays. Unusual for a player of his level. Errors that affect him and cause him to leave the match early. From 82′ Gregoritsch sv.
Ralf Ragnick 7.5 – Memorable feat, finishing in first place in such a difficult group and playing proactive and aggressive football was certainly not something to be taken for granted. And beware of underestimating his group in direct elimination matches.
