‘Leicester City’ of Euros will prove a handful for opponents

Austria is the other underdog team featured in our Euro 2016 countdown. Topping a qualifying group that included Euro 2016 finalists Sweden and Russia, Marcel Koller’s men are this summer’s “dark horses”. How far can they go in only their second European Championships appearance? Our analyst Adrian Clarke (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) takes a look at the fast-improving underdogs.

SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Robert Almer (Austria Vienna), Heinz Lindner (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ramazan Ozcan (Ingolstadt).

Defenders: Aleksandar Dragovic (Dinamo Kiev), Christian Fuchs (Leicester City), Gyorgy Garics (Darmstadt), Martin Hinteregger (Borussia Monchengladbach), Florian Klein (Stuttgart), Sebastian Prodl (Watford), Markus Suttner (Ingolstadt), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders : David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke City), Julian Baumgartlinger (Mainz), Martin Harnik (Stuttgart), Stefan Ilsanker (Leipzig), Jakob Jantscher (Luzern), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Marcel Sabitzer (Leipzig), Alessandro Schopf (Schalke)

Forwards: Lukas Hinterseer (Ingolstadt), Rubin Okotie (1860 Munich), Marc Janko (Basel).

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Topped Group G with nine wins and a draw

EUROS RECORD: 2008 - Group stage

STAR MAN – DAVID ALABA

The “Viennese Express” is in my view the world’s best left-back, but with captain Christian Fuchs happiest in that role, Alaba is utilised as a dynamic central midfield playmaker instead. Schooled by Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, it is a position he also excels in.

Prompting from deep, tackling, pressing, and having plenty of pops at goal, the 23-year-old is a class act who provides discipline and drive. His knack of breaking through the lines with the ball at his feet gives Austria a fresh layer of unpredictable quality.

For someone so young, Alaba already feels like he has the full package.

TOP PROSPECT – ALESSANDRO SCHOPF

A scorer against Malta in one of the pre-tournament friendlies, 22-year-old Schopf is the youngster pushing hardest for a starting place in Koller’s team.

Outstanding for second-tier German club Nurnberg, the central midfielder was bought by Schalke 04 in January, where he shone in the last few months of the Bundesliga season.

A box-to-box talent with an eye for goal, Schopf has represented Austria at all the junior levels, and is now tipped as the star of their new generation. He can fill any of the five slots in midfield, which makes him a great option from the bench. If he shines, Koller will not be afraid to find a starting berth for him.

CHIEF INFLUENCE – JULIAN BAUMGARTLINGER

The shaggy-haired Baumgartlinger is Austria’s unsung hero.

Patrolling the space in front of the back four he covers more kilometres than most, flying into tackles and disrupting opponents’ flow with his robust approach. On the ball, he is decent too, and keeps the underdogs ticking over by being neat and tidy in possession.

Superb for Mainz last season, the sitting midfielder puts in the spadework that allows Austria’s flair players to shine.

STYLE

There will be very few surprises in the way Marcel Koller lines Austria up at Euro 2016. In all 10 matches en route to France, he deployed a straightforward 4-2-3-1, rarely changing the names in his starting XI.

Above all else, their balance is fantastic, and this makes them a little reminiscent of Premier League champions Leicester City.

Able to sit deep, absorb pressure and play on the counter, they cope well against sides that like to hog possession. But when it is in their interests to press and keep the ball themselves, they can switch their approach seamlessly.

Wide men Marko Arnautovic and Martin Harnik play a big part in that because they are able to turn defence into attack quickly.

In the shape of Werder Bremen’s Zlatko Junuzovic they also have a No 10 in the Shinji Okazaki mould, who is happy to chase around the pitch unselfishly in a bid to make life easier for others.

Five of Koller’s squad formed part of the team that placed fourth in the 2007 Under-20 World Cup, and that familiarity is a definite plus.

STRENGTHS

Koller’s men are no one-trick ponies. This side can score goals in a multitude of ways, and that makes them complicated opponents to pin down.

Dead-ball specialist Junuzovic will be a threat every time he stands over a set piece, maverick winger Arnautovic is capable of conjuring up moments of magic, and Bayern Munich star David Alaba revels in a midfield role for his country that allows him to pile forward at will.

Up front, Basel striker Marc Janko is their leading marksman with 26 goals in 53 international appearances. He can feed off crosses and through balls, but manufactures chances of his own making too.

Austria has several individuals who arrive at the tournament on the back of excellent seasons. If they can replicate their 2015-16 form, their fans have good reason to feel optimistic.

WEAKNESSES

Right-back is a problem position. Stuttgart’s Florian Klein endured a miserable campaign, while back-up Gyorgy Garics is not a convincing replacement. If they want to avoid being exposed down that side of the pitch, reliable midfielder Harnik will need to track back as a matter of course.

There is also a colossal reliance on defensive midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger. With those around him happier in attack mode, protection duties fall almost exclusively on his shoulders and that is a worry if the 28-year-old gets injured or suspended.

Austria do not have too many obvious fragilities, but strength in depth could be an issue if they make it to the knockout rounds.

FORM

A draw with Sweden in the first round of group fixtures preceded nine straight wins, and their dark-horse status was confirmed when they smashed the Scandinavians out of sight 4-1 in the return fixture to book their spot in the finals.

Since then, the side has been a little tentative in friendlies. Beaten at home by Switzerland and Turkey, it feels like they have been saving their best for the main event.

THE BOSS: MARCEL KOLLER

Fans could not believe it when the low-profile Swiss coach was placed in charge of their national team five years ago, but the moans and groans did not last long. Slowly but surely, the ex-Grasshoppers, Cologne and Bochum boss has developed a team identity that sits well with supporters.

The success of “Projekt 12”, a scheme set up in 2009 to offer outstanding 15- to 19-year-olds extra support and training, has helped provide him with a better standard of player, but Koller’s man-management, tactical approach and stable decision-making has also helped take his adopted countrymen to a new level.

PREDICTION: QUARTER FINALISTS

The draw has been kind to Austria. So providing they do not freeze up on the big stage, I have a hunch they will be this summer’s surprise package. I am tipping them to top Group F, and beyond that, a last-eight place is within their reach.

About the author

Former Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke, who now writes for TODAY and several major football websites, is our expert analyst for Euro 2016