On June 22, in the second round of Group D in the European Championship, Austria secured their first victory with a 3-1 win over Poland. Despite the triumph, Rangnick was not entirely satisfied, as he criticized his team’s performance in the first half.
Rangnick sternly assessed the team’s display in the opening period: “After the first 20 minutes of the match, our level dropped significantly. We are not a star-studded dream team, and we can’t afford to have four or five players performing below their usual standards. Thankfully, the second half was a complete turnaround, and we found ourselves again.”
At halftime, Rangnick had an intense conversation with midfielder Baumgartner. He also gave his player a stern talking-to: “During the break, I told him that you are a crucial player, and we can’t continue like this. We need at least your normal level of performance.”
With this victory, Austria’s chances of advancing to the next stage look promising. In their final group match, they will face the tournament favorites, the Netherlands.