Austria strategies to ‘neutralize’ Yamal

Yamal is gradually finding his rhythm after recovering from a hamstring injury. The FC Barcelona winger scored one goal in a total of 141 minutes of play across three group-stage matches. Despite limited time on the pitch, he made a significant impact on the opponents' defense.

At the pre-match press conference, Rangnick said, "Lamine Yamal is an extraordinary footballer. He can play at this level for the next 12, 13, or 14 years—maybe even longer. If he stays fit and maintains his focus, an incredible career awaits him."

However, along with the praise, the Austrian coach made his tactical plans clear. He stated, "Yamal is one of our most important targets for surveillance. We do not want to give him any space under any circumstances. We also want to block his opportunities to start dribbling with the ball at his feet as much as possible."

Rangnick added, "Football fans certainly want to watch Yamal play. But our responsibility is to keep him away from the ball as much as possible and minimize his impact on the match."

Austria scored 6 goals in three matches during the group stage, which is one more than Spain. However, Rangnick knows that his team will have to play their absolute best to defeat Spain, who have remained unbeaten in 34 consecutive matches since March 2023.

He said, "We have to play better than any of our previous matches against Spain. To win this match, the quality of our performance needs to go one step higher."

Austria will be missing defender Phillipp Mwene due to injury. Nevertheless, Rangnick believes he has enough alternatives in his squad, and one of the primary responsibilities of those alternatives will be to keep Lamine Yamal out of the game as much as possible.