Euro 2024: Austria winning the Euros is 'not impossible', says manager Ralf Rangnick

Leipzig, July 2 (IANS) Austria and Turkey will be the two teams to close out the highly exciting Group Stages of the European Championship. The two times will be playing at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday (IST).

Austrian paved their way to the Round of 16 with wins over Poland and a 3-2 thriller vs Netherlands which resulted in the side finishing top of Group D.

Ahead of the awaited matchup, Austria manager Ralf Ragnick is highly optimistic stating it is ‘not impossible’ for his side to win the Euros.

"I said at the beginning of the tournament it is not impossible to become champion or get to the final. We are realistic. There is only one way to get as far as possible which is to take care of the next match. This philosophy helped us to get to Leipzig and this is the only way to get further in the tournament," said Ralf Ragnick.

Austria's last big event knockout victory came in 1954, when they defeated Uruguay 3-1.

Turkey has advanced from the group stage of a European Championship for the third time. Their last appearance in the knockout phase was in 2008, when they advanced to the semi-finals before being defeated by Germany.

Turkey will also be without their captain Hakan Calhanolgu, who is suspended for this encounter. Turkey Head Coach Vincenzo Montella spoke on the importance of their captain saying ‘He’s irreplaceable.’

The last time these two sides met was in March when Austria had defeated Turkey 6-1.

"It was a humiliating result on a personal level but that was another match, and this one is a different matter. “The first issue is to make sure we don’t let emotions get the better of us and don’t try to avenge that defeat. You can have your minds clouded and it can affect your concentration," said Montella.

"They are a team that presses very aggressively high up the pitch, very consistently and they are excellent in transition. They remind me of a club team because they are able to recognise all different match situations," added the Turkey Head Coach.