Slovakia v Ukraine LIVE: Euro 2024 score and latest updates

At Austria, however, the last two years have been fruitful. In fact, while in charge of das National team, Rangnick has mustered the best winning percentage of his long and storied career: 60.87 per cent (23 games played, 14 won, 4 drawn, 5 lost).

optimism was tempered for this campaign, courtesy of a daunting group-stage draw with France, Netherlands and Poland, and injuries to key players – including captain David Alaba. In fact, Austria entered Germany depleted in every area of the pitch.

And still they turned up emboldened for this Group D tie against France, the national team of their generation.

that tempered optimism seemed sensible, until Rangnick’s team started to click. When centre back Maximilian Wober perfectly timed a tackle, dispossessing a marauding Theo Hernandez just outside the Austria box, he kickstarted a slew of promising counters, which defined the impending phases of play.

The Godfather of Gegenpressing, of all people, was made an offer he surely couldn’t refuse. And yet somehow, some way, he did.

As the European Championship approached, so did Bayern Munich, but Ralf Rangnick held firm. It is a quirk of Rangnick’s career, that Germany’s most influential coach has never worked with the nation’s preeminent football club. Instead, the highest-profile periods of the 65-year-old’s career have been spells at Schalke, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Hannover, and – more recently – Manchester United.

During his time as interim coach of United, the German accepted the Austria job and reneged on his decision to remain at the Premier League club in an advisory capacity. His arrival in England had stirred excitement in football purists, or nerds, yet his time there did not bring the desired results.

And this is how Austria fared in their opener against France.

It was as a gallant but defeated Austria pressed that a certain push-and-pull became all the clearer with this French team. They are a side that obstinately waits for the opposition, as everyone watching on waits for their great star to do something.

In an obdurate 1-0 win over Austria, Mbappe forced the only goal with a cross that deflected in off Maximilian Wöber’s head.

Austria defiantly looked to create openings in the final minutes, only for all of William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and N’Golo Kante to offer the earthiest challenges.

There was still promise for Ralf Rangnick’s new Austria.

They are unique in international football in how the former Manchester United manager has imposed an ideology on the team, but has ready-made foundations the philosophies he put in place at so many of their players’ clubs. This is a squad that has largely come through the Red Bull school.

A reminder of how Poland’s first game went.

It may be of scant consolation to Poland but the World Cup winners have suffered the same fate. A Netherlands manager, seeking a goal and a game-changing substitute, summoned Wout Weghorst. And, like a force of nature, he felt unstoppable. It wasn’t quite enough to eliminate Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final but, when Poland were closing in on a point in Euro 2024, Weghorst went from the bench to the scoresheet in two minutes.

The forward who delivered a mere two goals in 31 appearances for Manchester United may have found his niche: as the Dutch super-sub in tournament football. As he was mobbed by teammates and substitutes alike, his name echoed around the Volksparkstadion, the hordes in orange celebrating their ungainly saviour.

Here’s how you can watch the first game of the evening.

The match is set for kick-off at 5pm BST on Friday 21 June at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

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Attention now turns to the second game of the day, and we move to Group D as Poland face Austria in Berlin.

Austria’s opening Euro 2024 fixture has become more notable for the injury to Kylian Mbappe than for the largely impressive performance Austria themselves showed, but they’ll need to do it all again and find a result this time when they face Poland.

The second round of games brings added pressure for those who failed to find victory first time out, as opportunities to reach the last 16 quickly feel as though they’re about to run out – though at least Ralf Rangnick’s side have the consolation of knowing their defeat was to Group D’s top seeds in France.

Poland were beaten by Netherlands and though it was a narrow scoreline in the end, a more clinical Oranje in the first half could have seen the Poles heavily swept aside.

This meeting between the two carries added weight given the knowledge that a single win could be enough to sneak through in third place; lose here though and it’s surely all over for Poland at least.

Mykhailo Mudryk sprung off the turf, rising through the drizzle to meet the ball with the badge on his jersey, before guiding it deftly to the grass below. Then, he turned, driving forward into the ever-widening channel in front of him. Slovakia’s goal grew bigger and bigger before him, as he drew closer and closer. But it would never be sizeable enough to contain his shot. It was an ugly finish in all honesty, slashed high, wide and hopeless.

It was a moment to sum up his brief Euro 2024 campaign up to that point, but more than that, it was an extension of a dispiriting first 18 months at Chelsea. The Ukrainian has been praised by fans of the club for his application, an admirable quality, but so far he has provided lots of endeavour and very little product for the Blues.

And on Friday, clad from neck to ankle in yellow rather than blue, this was a different Mudryk, yet the same Mudryk.

AUSTRIA XI: Pentz; Posch, Trauner, Lienhart, Mwene; Seiwald, Grillitsch; Laimer, Baumgartner, Sabitzer; Arnautovic

Here are some photos from the match: