ÖFB Head Coach Rangnick Before Nations League Playoff Second Leg in Serbia: "Don't Need to Do Much Differently"
"For me, David delivered an absolutely top performance, considering how long he was out," said ÖFB head coach Ralf Rangnick. The playoff first leg against Serbia was only David Alaba's second full-distance match after his severe knee injury 15 months ago, his first with the ÖFB team.
Praise for Alaba from ÖFB Head Coach Rangnick
"He surprised me extremely positively, especially physically," said ÖFB head coach Rangnick. "Honestly, I didn't expect him to perform at this level yet." Whether the Real Madrid defensive star will start in Belgrade is still open. He could certainly be useful. "It's clear that David has a special aura - whether on the pitch, in the locker room, or in the hotel. You can feel it, it's tangible for everyone," said the head coach. Although Alaba did not seem unbeatable in duels, his build-up play was precise. According to Rangnick, the key point is physical fitness - and in this regard, he is optimistic. "If he stays healthy, then with this game he has shown me that he can indeed return to the old David Alaba and his old form." However, even the team returnee could not prevent a small déjà vu. As recently as November against Slovenia, the Austrians squandered a 1-0 lead at home despite clear field superiority and had to settle for a 1-1 draw after conceding a goal in the second half. In the past 14 matches, the ÖFB team has only kept a clean sheet against Kazakhstan (4-0 and 2-0).
ÖFB Head Coach Rangnick Demands Better Chance Conversion
"We have to make sure on Sunday that we reward ourselves for a similar performance," demanded Rangnick. "We don't need to do much differently, just not be so wasteful with the big chances." The German is rather reluctant to train penalty shooting before the decisive match. "If anything, we need to practice more on how to head the ball into the goal from five or three meters out." Marko Arnautovic missed such a chance in the final moments. Patrick Wimmer impressed in an unfamiliar role as a right-back, a position he last played from the start four years ago at Wiener Austria. "We wanted to play extremely offensively, extremely bravely," explained Rangnick his choice. On the thinly occupied defensive flanks, Wimmer could also be an option in the future if all players are fit. Rangnick: "The way he played today, it looked as if he had never played anything else."
Schlager Continues in Goal, Baumgartner Absent in Nations League Playoff Second Leg
The ÖFB goal will once again be guarded by Alexander Schlager in the second leg. "The probability is quite high," said Rangnick. "He hasn't made any mistakes." Although there were few opportunities for mistakes, Rangnick also praised the secure build-up play of the Salzburg goalkeeper. "At the moment, Alex has a slight edge. But that doesn't mean the race for the World Cup or World Cup qualification is already decided." Patrick Pentz has also consistently performed well recently. Konrad Laimer returns in Belgrade from his yellow card suspension. Rangnick also hinted at a possible appearance for Gernot Trauner. "It's quite possible that one or two fresh players will come into the game," explained the 66-year-old. "Our game is very sprint-intensive, very running-intensive." The Austrians will have to do without Christoph Baumgartner. According to ÖFB information from Friday afternoon in Vienna, the offensive player suffered a mild concussion and left the team camp, as did Alexander Prass.
Situation Before Nations League Playoff Second Leg "Completely Open"
For the Serbians, regular defenders Nikola Milenkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, and Aleksa Terzic, as well as Andrija Zivkovic, are available again after suspensions. "I don't know if that makes such a big difference. They can't play much more defensively even with these four players," said Rangnick. There were not many more chances that his team could have created against such a defensive opponent. "We brought everything we set out to do onto the pitch. But the result doesn't reflect that." They failed to score two, three, or four goals. Consequently, the ÖFB team must worry about returning to the top tier of the Nations League. "The game is completely open after 94 minutes," said Rangnick. "There is a second leg, the second half, if you will. In terms of results, no one has the upper hand."
(APA/Red)
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