Austria will secure its first ever European championship victory at the 2021 European Football Championship - thanks to David Alaba from FC Bayern Munich.
Munich / Bucharest - Austria won the pan-European football championship 2021 * for the first time ever at a European championship.
Despite a long, erratic appearance it was enough for the highly traded team from the Alpine republic around David Alaba (still FC Bayern *) against the blatant outsider North Macedonia to a 3: 1 (1: 1).
This means that the Austrian national team has the best chances in Group C.
EM 2021: Austria wins against North Macedonia - brilliant moment by David Alaba
After a tough start to the 2021 European Football Championship *, Konrad Lainer from Borussia Mönchengladbach * gave the Austrians a 1-0 lead (18th minute), but after a major blunder in defense, the 37-year-old veteran was like Goran Pandev (28th) almost immediately.
After all, it took a brilliant moment for Alaba, who was still in Munich, who brilliantly prepared the 2-1 through Bundesliga * colleague Michael Gregoritsch (78th) from FC Augsburg.
Striker Marko Arnautovic (90.) made the final point.
It was hard work in Bucharest, Romania.
The German coach Franco Foda, who was already criticized in Austria, had surprisingly put star player Arnautovic (once Werder Bremen *) on the bench.
With the massive attacker, a target player was missing for the already unstructured offensive efforts at the front.
EM 2021: David Alaba leads Austria to their first victory at a European championship
Superstar Alaba, who was part of the FC Bayern Munich squad until July 1, began in central defense instead of midfield. Even the 28-year-old was unable to give his colleagues' game enough structure. But then at least Lainer came: Captain Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig *) hit a sharp ball from the half-field on the second post. The outside player from Gladbach sensed the situation and acrobatically pushed the ball behind the line from an acute angle just before the baseline. A hit well worth seeing. Sasa Kalajdzic from VfB Stuttgart almost took the lead shortly after the lead - but the tall striker (2.00 meters) shot the ball goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski from two meters into the arms.
Then the balance: Austria made a huge buck in defense.
Specifically: Martin Hinteregger from Eintracht Frankfurt * shot Sabitzer, from whose upper body the Pandev ball (once Naples and Inter Milan) jumped right in front of the feet.
Goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann could not hold the ball, which is why the ripped off striker only had to insert the ball.
A bitter billiard goal!
EM 2021: Austria win against North Macedonia - David Alaba shines in midfield
After the break, it was a mediocre game with a lot of ball losses for a long time before it got hectic in the middle of the second half. In the 63rd minute a pass came into the interface on Nikolov - Bachmann was there and parried man against man. Then substitute Arnautovic crossed to Gregoritsch (65th), who treacherously directed the ball towards the goal with his head - but Dimitrievski also showed a brilliant act. Finally it was Gregoritsch again who scored the redeeming goal to make it 2-1. Shortly before, Foda had ordered strategist Alaba into midfield.
The goal was preceded by a sharp and precise cross from the soon-to-be Madrilenian (goes to Real Madrid) on the first post. In the final phase Austria stayed on the trigger - it was enough for the three valuable points in the fight for the European Championship round of 16.
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