Late targets from substitutes Michael Gregoritsch and Marko Arnautovic gave Austria a convincing 3-1 victory over European Championship debutants North Macedonia of their opening Group C conflict on Sunday as they earned their first match victory in 31 years. Gregoritsch prodded residence David Alaba`s cross within the 78th minute earlier than Arnautovic struck within the 89th, as Austria earned a primary win on the Euros at their seventh try and their first victory at a serious match for the reason that 1990 World Cup.
“We deserved to win today,” Austria coach Franco Foda mentioned. “The players made history today. You could feel form the first minute that they wanted to win it. The substitutions had an effect and brought new impulse. They were important and the team did everything to win it.”
“I am very satisfied. We started well and were aggressive. Then they scored through a momentary lapse of concentration from us,” Foda mentioned. “After the break we wanted to increase our passing speed. We were more mobile. We did it really well.”
The Austrians, who began unusually with Alaba in central defence, had possession and circulated the ball nicely however struggled to break by means of till Marcel Sabitzer floated a perfectly-timed cross to the far put up. Stefan Lainer latched on to it, leaping into the air to beat keeper Stole Dimitrievski from a decent angle.
The North Macedonians, the lowest-ranked crew within the match, drew stage with their first probability of the sport 10 minutes later when defender Martin Hinteregger’s clearance first bounced off the again of Sabitzer and keeper Daniel Bachmann then let the ball slip for captain Goran Pandev to slot in.
That was his nation’s first ever purpose in a serious match and the ahead, who has 38 targets in 120 appearances, additionally grew to become the second-oldest participant to rating on the Euro, after Austria’s Ivica Vastic, who was 38 again in 2008.
Pandev had one other probability simply previous the hour after Boban Nikolov had failed to beat Bachmann as Austria continued to wrestle up entrance and hoped this is able to not be one other missed alternative. Foda was compelled to swap to a formation with two strikers, bringing on forwards Arnautovic and Gregoritsch and the transfer paid off, and transferring Alaba right into a midfield position.
Gregoritsch timed his run to perfection to faucet in Alaba’s cross earlier than keeper Risto Jankov acquired his fingers on the ball. Arnautovic then pounced on a defensive mistake to around the keeper and seal the Austrians’ first match win in 31 years.
Austria play the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Thursday, whereas North Macedonia keep in Bucharest to face Ukraine.
