Franco Foda’s side pipped Ukraine to the Group C runners-up spot and set up a last-16 tie against Italy at their third time of trying – having bowed out in the group stage in 2008 and 2016. However, Ukraine must wait to learn if they will advance to the EURO 2020 knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.
Ukraine vs Austria: as it happened, reaction
Match in brief
Xaver Schlager’s motoring right-sided run kicked off a lively head-to-head. Committing numbers forward, Austria’s intent was clear as a Marcel Sabitzer volley sailed over, before Aleksandar Dragović’s header fell wide.
Breaking the deadlock on 21 minutes, Christoph Baumgartner beat his marker to latch onto David Alaba’s searching corner kick and prod home with an outstretched leg – at 21, the youngest goalscorer at the tournament so far.
Unshaken, Ukraine were quick to respond, slipping through Das Nationalteam’s deep block as Ruslan Malinovskyi picked out Mykola Shaparenko, however, Daniel Bachmann was on call to parry.
As the half-time whistle loomed, Marko Arnautović was presented with a golden opportunity to double the deficit, but the Austrian striker could only jab wide from Alessandro Schöpf’s measured pass.
In a subdued second-half, Roman Yaremchuk rifled across goal late on in a final Ukraine push, but Austria had done enough to clinch victory in Bucharest and secure their passage to the round of 16.
Star of the Match: Florian Grillitsch (Austria)
“He was very good when coming up against the opposition’s central defenders. He gave balance to the team and was very good with the ball. A good effort for the entire match.”
Cosmin Contra, UEFA Technical Observer
Check out every Heineken Star of the Match at UEFA EURO 2020.
Bogdan Buga, Ukraine reporter
This defeat still leaves Ukraine with the chance to qualify for a EURO knockout stage first time in their history, however, their fate is no longer in their own hands. To be honest, everything has gone wrong for the Blue and Yellows tonight as they committed inexcusable errors at both ends of the pitch. Now they will have to wait a few nerve-wracking days to find out their fate.
Jordan Maciel, Austria reporter
For the first time in their history, Austria are into the knockout stages at a EURO. And they did so without relying on anyone else, claiming six points from a possible nine in Group C. A marked improvement from Foda’s side that will give them some much-needed confidence and momentum ahead of a tricky encounter with neighbours Italy at Wembley on Saturday.
Reaction
To follow.
Key stats
- Ukraine have yet to draw a match at a EURO finals tournament (W2 L7).
- Ukraine have conceded at least one goal in each of their last nine EURO final tournament matches.
- Austria scored just one goal at EURO 2008 and one goal at EURO 2016 (their only previous EURO appearances). They have now scored four times at EURO 2020.
- Austria led at half-time for the first time ever in a EURO final tournament – their ninth match.
- Austria have won just three of their last nine international matches (W3 D3 L3).
Line-ups
Ukraine: Bushchan; Karavaev, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Mykolenko (Besedin 85); Sydorchuk; Yarmolenko, Shaparenko (Marlos 68), Zinchenko, Malinovskyi (Tsygankov 46); Yaremchuk
Austria: Bachmann; Lainer, Dragović, Hinteregger, Alaba; X. Schlager, Laimer (Ilsanker 72), Grillitsch; Baumgartner (Schöpf 32), Sabitzer; Arnautović (Kalajdzic 90)
