Austria and Wales are both nations that have opened their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying Group D campaign with victories and they’re keen to carry that form after their head-to-head duel part of matchday 2. Only one of them will have an opportunity to extend, or actually to start its winning run, so eventual success for any of both sides at the “Ernst-Happel-Stadion” in Austrian capital Vienna will place the winner individually on top of the group. Group D is one of the most balanced in the 2018 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers in our opinion, where except Austria and Wales we also have teams like Serbia and Republic of Ireland, as well as the “underdogs” – Georgia and Moldova, which can be really tricky opponents. However, Austria and Wales started their quest without any sign of underestimation when playing against teams from last two pots and this adds some extra confidence before their second qualifier on Thursday night, 6 October 2016.
Austria vs Wales – Team News and Match Preview
Austrians were one of the largest disappointments at the UEFA Euro 2016 and despite their poor performances on French turf, the Austrian Football Association has decided to sustain its credit for the Swiss head coach Marcel Koller, who leads “Das Team” since 2011. Apparently that was a wise choice and Austria’s first match after the 1-2 defeat by Iceland at the European Championship finals was a difficult journey to Georgia. Nevertheless, Austria has shown greater spirit and Marcel Koller’s men have won the game with 2-1, which has virtually ended their form of four matches without a win.
Austria won all the points from Tbilisi after gaining a good lead with two first-half goals by defender Martin Hinteregger and top scorer Marc Janko, while Georgia showed desire to fight for a point when Jano Ananidze scored in 78th minute, but Austria have retained the lead.
Wales on other hand were biggest surprise at the UEFA Euro 2016 finals as “The Dragons” have reached the semi-finals in their very first appearance. Massive accomplishment which automatically rises the expectations towards Chris Coleman’s men, who are now dreaming for their second World Cup promotion after the one back in 1958. And despite some thoughts that Wales may be still living with the summer glory, which can carry negatives in their qualifying campaign here, “Dragons” were on fire as they have scored four times in Moldova’s net, keeping a cleansheet at the same time. One great result which is surely a sign that Wales shows intention to claim the top Group D position. Sam Vokes and Joe Allen are names of the goal scorers who have secured composure for Wales with two first-half goals against Moldova in Cardiff, while Gareth Bale has netted two more in second-half. A great way to return in front of the home crowd after that remarkable French campaign just two months earlier.
Head-to-head stats: Austria vs Wales
Austria and Wales already hold some h2h history dating in period 1954-2013, containing four friendly and four qualifying matches. Last fixture between both sides was an International Friendly from February 2013, when Wales of Chris Coleman won over Austria of Marcel Koller – 2:1 at the “Liberty Stadium” in Swansea, where Gareth Bale and Sam Vokes were goal scorers for the home side, while Mark Janko scored for “Das Team”. This was only second win of Wales against Austria as we find just one more for “The Dragons”, a draw and five victories for the Austrians. First one of them was in their first ever fixture when Austria won in a friendly match from May 1954 (2-0).
Besides both Austrian victories, a draw from April 1992, as well as their latest encounter, Austria and Wales have four competitive matches facing them in different qualifying campaigns. It started with the qualifying matches for the 1976 UEFA European Championship when both nations have alternated a home win – 1-0 in Wales, 2-1 in Austria, but “The Dragons” have finished on top of the group. However, Wales couldn’t qualify to the final four as they were eliminated by Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals.
Thirty years after their two-legged matchup in the European Qualifiers, Austria and Wales were together at the same qualifying group for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany, where they had to play both matches in a short period – 26-30 March 2005. Austria won in both occasions as first one of the games was in Cardiff, where two late goals by Ivica Vastic and Martin Stranzl brought the three points for “Das Team”. Just few days later Austria won in another dramatic clash when Rene Aufhauser’s late goal (87th minute) added another win for Hans Krankl’s selection against John Toshack’s Wales. Nonetheless, these six points were far from enough to qualify Austria even on the second position in their group as they were with 10 points behind England and on 9 from Poland. Not the most productive campaign for Austria if we consider they were preparing to host the 2008 UEFA European Championship. But anyway, two of their four wins in that qualifying group came against Wales…
Austria vs Wales – Betting Prediction and Possible Lineups
Austria welcomes its opponents with hope for another home victory and so far they show a 100% win ratio against Wales , as it comes to competitive home matches. However, that’s not the same Wales and we have one completely different generation built by huge number of players who play in different English Premier League clubs, making Wales’ progress very well-founded.
Austria remained without one of its Premier League names as captain Christian Fuchs has retired from international football after the UEFA Euro 2016, making midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger the new captain of Marcel Koller’s roster. This opens position for Markus Suttner at the left-back who’s one of the many Austrians who play in the German Bundesliga. Initially some questions were will Marcel Koller start using David Alaba on the left-back, but it seems that he prefers to use its star player in midfield, where he form partnership with captain Baumgartlinger. Furthermore Koller has proved himself as a pragmatist and he has shown intentions to use the same team as in France, although Austria wasn’t on the required level. One of the potential replacements here comes in trio behind striker Marc Janko, where we normally have Martin Harnik from the right side, Zlatko Junuzovic behind the striker and Marko Arnautovic attacking from the left wing, but recent solid efforts of Alessandro Schöpf with his Bundesliga club Schalke 04 can help him to earn starting position at the right flank, at the expense of Harnik who plays in a 2. Bundesliga side – Hannover 96.
Two players of the newly promoted RB Leipzig, which is one of biggest surprises in the 2016-17 Bundesliga season so far, Stefan Ilsanker and Marcel Sabitzer provide more options in midfield, but we doubt Koller plans more rotations, if he plans any at all.
Wales will head to Vienna without Arsenal’s midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who still recovers from a hamstring injury. Anyway, we saw that a central midfield trio including Joe Allen, Andy King and Joe Ledley can do the work and preferred by Wales 3-5-2 formation should be a real challenge for Austria here.
Gareth Bale is ready to start on top of Wales’ attack and Burnley’s Sam Vokes looks as the most reliable partner for him at that moment, since Hal Robson-Kanu can’t boast with much first-team football in his new EPL side West Brom. Anyway, we don’t expect any changes, if there aren’t any sudden injuries, by Chris Coleman and he’ll probably name the same squad used against Moldova.
Final conclusion and Betting Prediction
Bookies have determined Austria for the favourite and we believe that’s mostly due of their home advantage. Austria were almost perfect in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers and they have won 9 games in a row, but however, this remains in the past and Wales can be really dangerous opposition here.
It’s really difficult to predict potential winner (1X2 betting) of this clash and we find better perspectives in current odds for “Both teams to score – Yes“.
Venue: “Ernst-Happel-Stadion”, Vienna.
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır from Turkey.
Possible starting lineups of Austria and Wales
Austria: Robert Almer – Florian Klein, Aleksandar Dragovic, Martin Hinteregger, Markus Suttner – Julian Baumgartlinger, David Alaba – Alessandro Schöpf, Zlatko Junuzovic, Marko Arnautovic – Marc Janko. (4-2-3-1)
Wales: Wayne Hennessey – Ben Davies, Ashley Williams, James Chester – Neil Taylor, Joe Allen, Joe Ledley, Andy King, Chris Gunter – Gareth Bale, Sam Vokes. (3-5-2)