The Boys in Green head to Linz.
AUSTRIA v IRELAND MATCH DETAILS
| Match Details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, November 14 |
| Kick-off | 19:45 |
| Venue | Raiffeisen Arena, Linz |
| Competition | UEFA Nations League, League B, Round 5 |
| TV | RTE 2 |
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AUSTRIA v IRELAND MATCH PREVIEW
The Republic of Ireland have left themselves playing catch-up if they want to earn a shot at promotion to League A of the Nations League for the first time following a turbulent autumn window.
Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men could easily have been heading into this concluding window of the year in the driving seat of this League B group, but a second-half collapse in Dublin against Austria, coupled with also throwing a lead away against Israel, saw Ireland leave vital points on the table.
Those who like to view the cup as half full, as opposed to empty, will say that Ireland did well to recover from the disastrous performance and defeat in their opening game away to Kosovo, but it’s difficult to shake the feeling that those slip-ups could prove fatal to Ireland’s promotion hopes.
Austria sit top of the group on eight points after an unbeaten start to the campaign (P4, W2, D2), but this is an Austria team going through something of a transition, as seen at the Aviva in October. Ralf Rangnick’s team has lost some experienced players through retirements, injuries, and general unavailability, and looked to be there for the taking in the Irish capital.
However, the game was ultimately decided on the touchline with Rangnick’s changes strengthening Austria, while the Ireland boss got his substitutions totally wrong. That game in Dublin is, of course, best remembered for Troy Parrott’s stunning individual goal, but the Ireland forward comes into this camp struggling for form at club level.
Had Ireland not left so many points behind them in previous games, they could have been heading into this contest knowing a point would give them a chance to win the group. And while a draw on Saturday would still leave them in the hunt for top spot, you would have to fancy Austria to beat Israel comfortably in the final round (Ireland will host Kosovo in what is a winnable game).
This fixture also evokes memories of James McClean’s winning goal in Vienna in World Cup qualifying in 2016; the Derry man’s strike secured Ireland a famous 0-1 win on their travels in a competitive game against a team ranked above them for the first time since 1987.
Ireland may need something similarly heroic on their latest trip to Austria, given that the hosts haven’t been turned over on home soil since Belgium prevailed in Vienna in 2023.
AUSTRIA v IRELAND TEAM NEWS
Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick has named his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Israel, with Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer and RB Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner among the headline inclusions. However, the squad has been hit by a couple of injury setbacks, with Carney Chukwuemeka and Marco Grüll both withdrawing, while Yusuf Demir and Raul Florucz have been called up as replacements.
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson has named a 24-man squad for the decisive Nations League double-header against Austria and Kosovo. Captain Nathan Collins returns to the fold after recovering from injury, while attacking midfielder Harvey Vale is also back in contention following his own rehabilitation. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu misses out through injury, with Mark Travers recalled to join Caoimhín Kelleher and Max O’Leary between the posts. Séamus Coleman will also join the squad in a hybrid coaching and leadership role, although he has not been included among the 24 selected players.
AUSTRIA v IRELAND H2H RECORD
Ireland led 2-0 in the original meeting in Dublin in October, only to squander the three points as Austria came back to draw the game 2-2.
That was the sides’ first meeting since a 1-1 draw in Dublin in 2017, while James McClean scored the only goal of the game in Vienna in November 2016 as Ireland recorded a famous 0-1 win.
A repeat of any of those results for Ireland on Saturday would be largely welcomed.
AUSTRIA v IRELAND PREDICTED LINEUPS
Austria XI (Predicted): A. Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Danso, Wöber; Seiwald, X. Schlager; Wimmer, Baumgartner, Schmid; Adamu.
Ireland XI (Predicted): Kelleher, O’Brien, Collins, O’Shea, Egan, Manning, Molumby, Knight, Moylan, Parrott, Ogbene.
AUSTRIA v IRELAND PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sasa Kalajdzic was a real handful for the Irish defence in the first meeting between the sides. While Egan, Scales and O’Shea seemed to have his number in the opening 45 minutes, the LASK striker dominated Ireland with his physicality after Scales was replaced by Liam Kitching, who made a dreadful individual error leading to Austria’s first goal and ignited the comeback.
Ireland’s Jack Moylan has been in sensational form for club and country of late, with the Cardiff City midfielder bagging a first-half hat-trick against West Ham last week.
AUSTRIA v IRELAND PREDICTION & BETTING TIPS
Excluding the defeat in Kosovo, Ireland’s last loss over 90 minutes came in Lisbon just over a year ago when it took Portugal until stoppage time to break down a resolute Irish defence. It’s now just two defeats in 12 normal-time matches for Ireland, proving that Heimir Hallgrímsson has made his team difficult to beat after that disastrous Stephen Kenny era.
Austria’s home record makes for worrying reading for Irish fans traveling to Linz, but if they can come away with a point here, then a second-place finish and a playoff for promotion to League A will be well within their grasp.
BEST BET: Draw (29/10)
Austria v Ireland: Kick-Off Time, TV & Betting Odds
When is Austria v Ireland?
Austria v Ireland will take place on Saturday, November 14, with a kick-off time of 19:45 for Irish viewers.
Where is Austria v Ireland being played?
The Raiffeisen Arena in Linz will play host to Saturday’s UEFA Nations League contest between Austria and Ireland.
What channel is Austria v Ireland on?
RTE 2 and the RTE Player will broadcast the game live.
What are the odds for Austria v Ireland?
Austria 4/7, Ireland 23/5, the draw 29/10. Full markets.
