Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - Round of 16 - Austria v Turkey - Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, Germany - July 2, 2024 Turkey's Merih Demiral scores their second goal REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick's high press, aggressive football was the talk of the tournament, but from the off it was Turkey who took the game by the scruff of the neck and never let it go. In March Austria had humbled Vincenzo Montella's side 6-1, with Michael Gregoritsch scoring a hat-trick, but Rangnick left him on the bench in Leipzig, and he did manage to pull one back after his second-half introduction.
Optimism was low coming to Germany for Turkey, who reached the Euro 2008 semi-finals, but failed to advance past the group stage at the last two tournaments and haven't qualified for a World Cup since their third-place in 2002. "It is unworthy of the Turk to stop, Turk ahead, Turk forward!" goes the lyric from the 10th Year March, a song written to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Turkey, and used to inspire a team to play without fear.