March 23, (THEWILL)- Christoph Baumgartner etched his name into Austrian football folklore in a remarkable start to Austria’s Euro 2024 warm-up clash by scoring just six seconds against Slovakia on Saturday.
The RB Leipzig striker’s thunderbolt from the edge of the box proved the quickest goal in his nation’s history as Ralf Rangnick’s men claimed a 2-0 away victory in Bratislava.
Despite the disastrous early concession, the home side responded positively, creating several opportunities to equalise. Tomas Suslov and Lukas Haraslin both went close for the Falcons but Austria goalkeeper Patrick Pentz produced a fine save to preserve his clean sheet before the interval.
The visitors dominated possession yet struggled to carve out clear-cut chances after the restart. Michael Gregoritsch and Baumgartner went agonisingly close to extending the lead but Slovakia stopper Martin Dubravka was equal to their efforts.
Austria’s perseverance paid dividends seven minutes from time, however, when substitute Andreas Weimann tapped home from close range following excellent work by Romano Schmid to make it 2-0 and seal a morale-boosting win ahead of Euro 2024.
The defeat ends Slovakia’s three-match winning streak but they remain well-placed for their third successive European Championship appearance next summer.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
