AUSTRIA
FIFA World Ranking: 23
Previous Best: Group Stage 2008 & 2016
Last 5 Euros (Latest first): Groups-DNQ-Groups-DNQ-DNQ
How Qualified: Runners Up Group G
Qualifying Record: P10 W6 D1 L3 F19 A9 GD10 Pts19
Tournament Odds: 150/1
Squad
Goalkeepers: Daniel Bachmann (Watford), Pavao Pervan (Wolfsburg), Alexander Schlager (LASK)
Defenders: David Alaba (Bayern), Aleksandar Dragović (Leverkusen), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen), Martin Hinteregger (Frankfurt), Stefan Lainer (Mönchengladbach), Philipp Lienhart (Freiburg), Stefan Posch (Hoffenheim), Andreas Ulmer (Salzburg)
Midfielders: Julian Baumgartlinger (Leverkusen), Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim), Florian Grillitsch (Hoffenheim), Stefan Ilsanker (Frankfurt), Konrad Laimer (Leipzig), Valentino Lazaro (Internazionale), Karim Onisiwo (Mainz), Marcel Sabitzer (Leipzig), Louis Schaub (Luzern), Xaver Schlager (Wolfsburg), Alessandro Schöpf (Schalke), Christopher Trimmel (Union Berlin)
Forwards: Marko Arnautović (Shanghai Port), Michael Gregoritsch (Augsburg), Sasa Kalajdzic (Stuttgart)
Group Fixtures
June 13 vs North Macedonia (5pm – Bucharest)
June 17 vs Netherlands (8pm – Amsterdam)
June 21 vs Ukraine (5pm – Bucharest)
Special Offer
Open up a BetVictor account during Euro 2020 and get your money back on your first bet if it loses up to £30!! That is a RISK FREE £30 bet on the Euros! Click the image below for this outstanding offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Responsibly.
18+ New customers only. Deposit, opt-in and place your first bet on any football market within 7 days of opening your account. We’ll refund up to £30 in cash if your 1st bet loses. T&Cs Apply. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly.
History
Austria have a pretty poor history in this tournament it must be said. They have only featured in it twice in the past, once when they co-hosted it and another time five years ago when they qualified. On both occasions they failed to get out of the group and never won a single match so putting those two things right will be their primary aims in this competition. This is probably the last chance for this generation of players to make their mark on tournament football which will act as further motivation.
Qualifying
Austria were involved in one of the most competitive and open qualifying groups with themselves, Poland and Slovenia the favourites to make it through. Austria made it in second place despite losing three of their 10 matches. Their defeat in their final game to Latvia might just have been because they had already qualified though so perhaps their record was a little bit better than it looks on paper. Marko Arnautovic was their star in qualifying with six of their 19 goals.
Pandemic Effect
I think Austria would have preferred this competition to be last year when their superstar players were a little more in their prime but they won their Nations League group which contained a talented Norway side and haven’t got off to the worst start in World Cup qualifying so it isn’t like they arrive here in terrible form. If they can take their Nations League form with them then the delay won’t have done them too much harm.
Strengths
The core players in this Austria squad have been in and around the scene for a while and that continuity should be a strength of theirs. They have a couple of world class performers in their positions in David Alaba and Marcel Sabitzer and if they turn it on then they could propel Austria to achieve all of their aims in the tournament. This should be a united squad which is something you can’t say about all the others in this group.
Weaknesses
Off the field their big weakness is a lack of tournament experience and pedigree. We often see sides come to the tournament and just fail to find their feet and Austria have done that twice in this competition. The other issues they have is the lack of a standout goalkeeper. Their number one had a few up and down performances for Watford last season. They also lack a genuinely top class goalscorer unless Marko Arnautovic can find his form of old.
Manager
Franco Foda has served his dues as a manager having won the Austrian Cup and League while manager of Sturm Graz back in 2010 and 2011. He took up the reins of the national side in 2018 and has led them to this tournament and to the top of their Nations League group earlier this season. His next term is to loosen the shackles of this side and give their fans the entertainment they desire rather than the conservative approach he is known for. His record is: P34 W20 D5 L9.
Key Players
Austrian football isn’t known for star quality individually but in David Alaba they have a man who has dined at the elite level for the majority of his career. He has switched positions a lot in his club days but is usually utilised in the centre of the park for his country and is assigned the role of being the calming influence. The other star in this side is the Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, a man who can make things happen from behind the striker and around the penalty box.
Team Bets
I think Austria are candidates to be one of those sides who are seeded to have a creditable run but fall flat on their face. I just see a lack of goals being a real issue for them. Admittedly they scored five in their three World Cup qualifiers but three were against the Faroe Islands and they failed to beat Scotland in that time. They only scored nine goals in their Nations League matches as well and from the beginning of 2018 nobody has scored more than the seven goals in competitive matches that Marko Arnautovic has and I’m not convinced he is anywhere near his best now either.
They are priced at 12/5 to be eliminated in the group stage largely because they have North Macedonia in their group but I don’t think they are a certainty to beat them first up and if they don’t beat them they might need snookers to escape the group. Three points should get you out of the group but not with a poor goal difference and a lack of goals could easily see them missing out on that decider. I think there is mileage in that 12/5.
Tips
Back Austria Stage of Elimination – Group Stage for a 1/10 stake at 3.40 with Betway
