Bachmann, who had only secured his own body with strong performances in the two test matches against England and Slovakia, was the focus of the interim 1-1 draw of the North Macedonians by Goran Pandev in Bucharest on Sunday. The Lower Austrian had lost the ball after an unfortunate and unintentional return in the course of a clash with Aleksandar Trajkovski. Pandev dusted off. The 26-year-old found it difficult to understand the harsh criticism of him and his role as a “scapegoat”.
“I noticed a few things with the Eiertor and Steirertor – I’m the first to raise my hand when a mistake happens. That’s part of football and it’s completely normal, otherwise there would be fewer goals. But to call that a mistake is a bit strange because it was an action where the striker slid both legs on his chest. It was just an unfortunate move, ”said Bachmann before the trip to Amsterdam, where the biggest test of the preliminary round awaits him on Thursday.
“If I lie down, the referee whistles”
His aversion to acting on the pitch was ultimately his undoing, said Austria’s team goalkeeper. “Whether or not it was a foul is debatable. But if I stay on the ground and hold my face, the referee will likely blow the whistle before the ball goes into the goal. But that’s just how I am, “said Bachmann,” in the end it is a situation where the striker, weighing 80 kilos, slides fully into my chest. It’s hard to hold the ball with me. “
Nevertheless, he was glad that the goal against Bucharest had no serious effects, said Bachmann. “We won. That’s the only thing that counts. ”Bachmann cannot imagine that his status as a regular goalkeeper would be called into question. “I don’t think about that. The coach set me as number one before the European Championship, and I did my best, ”said the Watford keeper.
Watch out for the “Oranje” offensive
The next opportunity to confirm his status is now in the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam against the Dutch. The group favorites started the tournament with a spectacular 3-2 win over Ukraine, in which all five goals were scored in the second half. “They are a very good team with very good individual players, especially on the offensive. We have to be vigilant defensively, play our qualities forward and use our chances, ”said Bachmann.
In addition to preparing for the game in Amsterdam, Bachmann was also concerned with the allegations of racism and the suspension against his former club colleague Marko Arnautovic. “These are unfair allegations. I’ve known him for ten years. You can say a lot about him and say what you want, opinions differ a bit, which is okay. But what he is definitely not is a racist, ”emphasized the 26-year-old. The goalkeeper came to Stoke City in 2011 as a 16-year-old, two years later Arnautovic joined the “Potters” from Werder Bremen.
