Austria take on Turkey in the 1/8-finals of UEFA Euro-2024. The match will be played on Tuesday, July 2nd at Red Bull Arena (Leipzig).
In this match, we will see the most spectacular, uncompromising, and even arguably reckless teams of the current European Championship clash. These teams practically do not know how to play defensively. The only exception is the first match of the Austrians in the ongoing tournament - against the French. But in that game, the Alpine team, despite their usual free-spiritedness, predictably did not take unnecessary risks. In the other matches, however, Ralph Rangnick's men displayed a very romantic attacking style. This approach helped the Austrians not only handle Poland 3-1 (1-1) but also the high-profile Netherlands 3-2 (1-0). Goals were scored in all halves of these encounters!
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
The Turkish national team showed erratic form in the past group stage. They managed to secure a victory in the crucial game against the Czech Republic to advance to the round of 16 (winning 2-1). However, this success was not without luck, primarily due to the less favorable tournament position of their opponent, who also ended up with a man down. I don't want to diminish Turkey's merits, but I don't think they will go far in this Championship. Any playoff opponent with a reasonably cohesive attack will turn the porous Turkish defense into a sieve again, as Portugal did earlier, scoring goals against the "Moon Stars" in both halves of their encounter 3-0 (2-0).
Without a doubt, this cohesive attacking opponent is Austria. I must admit, I initially underestimated them in this Championship. Who would have thought in advance that the Austrians would top a group where the French and the Dutch were considered the untouchable favorites before the start of EURO? The Alpine "Red-Whites" have turned into a real goal-scoring machine. Leading the charge are players like the prolific Sabitzer (fitting given his name), the often-forgotten Arnautović, Schmid, Baumgartner, and others. These are all different faces, making it difficult to identify the main threat in Austria's attack. This unpredictability can puzzle almost any defense, especially one as vulnerable as Turkey's. I expect another spectacular performance here, with goals throughout the match. It’s also worth noting that the Austrians and Turks recently played a friendly match, where the "Janissaries" suffered a crushing defeat 1-6 (1-2)!
Prediction for the match: Scored goals in both halves – yes.
