Austria will host Belgium in a battle of the top two teams in Group F of Euro 2024 qualifying. After five games, both teams have 13 points and are aware that a win today will guarantee them a spot in the tournament in Germany the following year.
Preview (Austria vs. Belgium)
After winning four and drawing one of their first five games in Group F, scoring 12 goals, and allowing only four goals against, Austria is on track to qualify for their third consecutive European Championships. They defeated Sweden both at home and away in their last two qualifying matches. It included a 3-1 victory in Stockholm last month, victories over Azerbaijan and Estonia were recorded. Das Team’s only loss in Group F came when they drew 1-1 with Belgium in the rematch.
Ralf Rangnick’s team trails leader Belgium just on goal differential. They are critically seven points ahead of Sweden in third place. To qualify for Euro 2024, they need just three more points from their remaining three games. Austria, who is currently ranked 25th in the world by FIFA, has a strong home record in Euro qualifying. They have won 11 of their previous 12 games since October 2014. Das Team last triumphed over the Red Devils in a friendly on home soil in June 1959. They have lost all six of their recent encounters with Belgium.
The Red Devils have won five and drawn one of their first six games in all competitions under new head coach Domenico Tedesco since their disappointing group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup, with a resounding 5-0 home victory over Estonia in their most recent Euro 2024 qualifier helping them climb to the top of Group F on goal differential.
Team News
David Alaba (muscle), Stefan Posch (thigh), and Gernot Trauner (knee) will be out for Austria due to injury. Attacker Marko Arnautovic is also out with a thigh issue. Despite having minor injuries, Marcel Sabitzer and Christoph Baumgartner should be able to participate in some capacity on Friday. The former hopes to keep his place on the left side of a midfield four with Konrad Laimer of Bayern Munich and the duo of Xaver Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald of RB Leipzig. In the attack, Sasa Kalajdzic or Junior Adamu will partner with Michael Gregoritsch. The latter scored in the 1-1 draw with Belgium earlier this year.
Injuries have forced the withdrawal of Leandro Trossard (hamstring) and Ameen Al-Dakhil (unspecified) from the Belgium team. Arthur Vermeeren, an 18-year-old midfielder for Antwerp, has since received his first call-up, and defender Zinho Vanheusden, who is on loan from Inter Milan and playing for Standard Liege, will be hoping to make his first senior international appearance since making his debut in 2020. In Thibaut Courtois’ absence, Koen Casteels will likely continue to start in goal instead of Matz Sels, Thomas Kaminski, and Arnaud Bodart, who have no international experience.
The Premier League trio of Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, and Orel Mangala could all start in center-midfield. The three candidates to play on the flanks on either side of central striker Romelu Lukaku are Yannick Carrasco, Jeremy Doku, and Johan Bakayoko. Lukaku scored one of his 77 goals for his country in the June draw with Austria.
Austria 1 – 2 Belgium
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