Austria Unchanged Tactics Awaiting Lewandowski's Return Against Poland

Ralf Rangnick has confirmed that Austria will maintain their tactical approach despite Robert Lewandowski's absence from Poland's opening Euro 2024 fixture against the Netherlands. The Barcelona striker, Poland's all-time top scorer with 82 goals, missed the 2-1 defeat in Hamburg due to a thigh injury sustained in a pre-tournament friendly against Turkiye.

Despite Lewandowski's injury, both Rangnick and captain Marcel Sabitzer are preparing for the game as if he will be available for Michal Probierz's side on Friday. "It doesn’t change our way of playing a lot; basically, they will play the way they have been playing. Lewandowski is the main player in Poland; everyone tries to pass to him, especially if they counter at speed," Rangnick told reporters.

Sabitzer, who played alongside Lewandowski at Bayern Munich, added, "I know his qualities. He’s an exceptional player, but for us as a team, when it comes to tactics, nothing will change."

Austria began their Group D campaign with a narrow defeat to tournament favourites France. They now face a must-win situation to keep their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages alive. "The team that wins tomorrow holds the good cards and has a good chance of going through to the next phase. So, it’s a game you have to win; that’s absolutely clear to us," Rangnick stated.

Sabitzer echoed this sentiment, saying his side is ready for the pressure of a must-win game. "We already said to each other that we want to win the match tomorrow, and Poland probably said the same internally. I think if we change those things from the France game, follow our principles, and are intense, then we have a good chance of winning tomorrow," he said.

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