One of the underdogs and potential dark horses heading into the Euro Cup is Austria. They are not a side that has ever had a strong European presence but they have caused several upsets over the years. Austria has qualified for the FIFA World Cup seven times in their history, and their best performance came way back in 1954 when they finished in third place. They are also not a regular in the Euro Cup. The upcoming tournament will actually be only the third time they have qualified in their history. The previous times came in 2008 and 2016 respectively. They failed to qualify from the group stages of either of those competitions. However, with their current team, the Austrians are well capable of making it through to the knockout stages and even causing an upset or two along the way.
Austria does not really have a history in the Euro Cup to boast of. They have only appeared in two previous editions of the competition before, in 2008 and 2016. They possibly would not have made it to the 2008 Euros had they not been one of the co-hosts of the competition. Even so, they were drawn into a tough group with the likes of Germany, Poland, and Croatia. The Austrians failed to qualify from the group as they finished third behind the Germans and the Croats.
In Euro 2016, Austria was a confident team as they had a terrific qualifying campaign, and were drawn into a relatively easier group than 2008. This time, they had to deal with Portugal, Hungary, and Iceland. Portugal was the favorite to win the group but nobody could predict who else would go through. As it turned out, Austria finished bottom of the group, with Hungary in first, Iceland in second, and Portugal in third. All three qualified for the knockout stages and Portugal was crowned champions eventually.
The Austrian side for Euro 2020 is not comprised of as many superstars, and that is expected. They have a few players, however, who have the capability of winning matches by themselves on their day. The player who will have most of the fans’ hopes for scoring goals is RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. The 27-year-old has had a fantastic season in which Leipzig finished second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich. The midfielder scored eight goals in the season and has three assists. His vision will be key for Austria to break down other teams.
Captain Julian Baumgartlinger of Bayer Leverkusen is a veteran of the game, a stable on the national side, and a leader of men. He has always been a crucial cog in the Austrian machinery, and manager Franco Foda will have a lot of hopes for his captain. Of course, the most popular Austrian football player in the world is David Alaba. The Real Madrid player will be key in Austria’s defense. Alaba is a versatile defender who can play center-back and wing-back, a highly sought-after trait in football. Austria is likely to play counter-attacking football and Alaba’s defensive and attacking qualities will be key for this plan to succeed.
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One of the underdogs and potential dark horses heading into the Euro Cup is Austria. They are not a side that has ever had a strong European presence but they have caused several upsets over the years. Austria has qualified for the FIFA World Cup seven times in their history, and their best performance came way back in 1954 when they finished in third place. They are also not a regular in the Euro Cup. The upcoming tournament will actually be only the third time they have qualified in their history. The previous times came in 2008 and 2016 respectively. They failed to qualify from the group stages of either of those competitions. However, with their current team, the Austrians are well capable of making it through to the knockout stages and even causing an upset or two along the way.
Austria does not really have a history in the Euro Cup to boast of. They have only appeared in two previous editions of the competition before, in 2008 and 2016. They possibly would not have made it to the 2008 Euros had they not been one of the co-hosts of the competition. Even so, they were drawn into a tough group with the likes of Germany, Poland, and Croatia. The Austrians failed to qualify from the group as they finished third behind the Germans and the Croats.
In Euro 2016, Austria was a confident team as they had a terrific qualifying campaign, and were drawn into a relatively easier group than 2008. This time, they had to deal with Portugal, Hungary, and Iceland. Portugal was the favorite to win the group but nobody could predict who else would go through. As it turned out, Austria finished bottom of the group, with Hungary in first, Iceland in second, and Portugal in third. All three qualified for the knockout stages and Portugal was crowned champions eventually.
The Austrian side for Euro 2020 is not comprised of as many superstars, and that is expected. They have a few players, however, who have the capability of winning matches by themselves on their day. The player who will have most of the fans’ hopes for scoring goals is RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. The 27-year-old has had a fantastic season in which Leipzig finished second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich. The midfielder scored eight goals in the season and has three assists. His vision will be key for Austria to break down other teams.
Captain Julian Baumgartlinger of Bayer Leverkusen is a veteran of the game, a stable on the national side, and a leader of men. He has always been a crucial cog in the Austrian machinery, and manager Franco Foda will have a lot of hopes for his captain. Of course, the most popular Austrian football player in the world is David Alaba. The Real Madrid player will be key in Austria’s defense. Alaba is a versatile defender who can play center-back and wing-back, a highly sought-after trait in football. Austria is likely to play counter-attacking football and Alaba’s defensive and attacking qualities will be key for this plan to succeed.
