Rangnick: 'If you want to make a lot of money, bet it all on Austria'
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick takes the underdog position for their World Cup clash against Argentina after a strong start against Jordan.
Austria started their World Cup campaign well, beating Jordan 3-1, but will now face Argentina, the strongest team in the group. Coach Ralf Rangnick decided to take a cautious stance: "We are playing against all odds. If you want to make a lot of money, take your savings and bet on Austria to win," said Rangnick, stressing that the chances of victory are not high.
In analyzing the opponent, the Austrian team did not find many weaknesses. "They have exceptional individual quality," he added. A crucial aspect of the preparation is the strategy to deal with Lionel Messi, who shone by scoring three goals in the first match against Algeria.
Stefan Oesen, assistant coach and analyst, said the team studied Messi thoroughly, but did not want its players to become obsessed with a single athlete. "We're not going to show them a compilation of Messi's best plays. There won't be an entire session dedicated just to him," he explained.
However, that doesn't mean Messi isn't a concern. Oesen emphasized that marking the Argentine individually is ineffective. "That doesn't make sense, because he appears everywhere on the field. He dominates the midfield, but he also retreats. We need to create several disputes around him, so that the players can take risks knowing that there is support behind them. He will have one or two chances. We have to try to stay close to him and prevent him from having space to shoot. If he has freedom 25 meters from the goal, it is almost a penalty", he warned.
Oesen also indicated that the real danger lies in moments when Messi appears invisible. "He rarely participates without the ball. That's what makes him so dangerous. As soon as you lose possession, he immediately chooses the perfect position for the counterattack. He practically starts the last play."
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