The ÖFB selection prevailed on Sunday in Lier in a duel between two finalists against Belgium thanks to a goal by substitute Maria Plattner (65th) 1-0 (0-0) and traveled on Thursday with two wins in a row in the Luggage to England. There, on July 6, the hosts will be waiting in the opening game at Manchester’s sold-out Old Trafford Stadium.
Until then, there are still a few personal question marks to be clarified. It is not clear whether captain Viktoria Schnaderbeck (knee problems), Carina Wenninger (illness) and Katharina Naschenweng (thigh problems) will be fit in time. ÖFB team boss Irene Fuhrmann had to announce her final squad for the tournament to UEFA by midnight on Sunday, five names of the provisional 28-woman squad had to be deleted.
Defense rebuilt
In the last test, Fuhrmann had to completely set the standard central defense. Just like Wenninger, who was ill, Schnaderbeck was not in the squad. This allowed Marina Georgieva and Celina Degen to try their hand at the center of defense from the start. There were further problems because outside player Naschenweng had to stop warming up. Julia Hickelsberger-Füller quickly moved into the three-man attacking line in the 4-3-3 system.
The striker, who has been playing for Hoffenheim since the summer, should have taken the lead after 15 minutes, but didn’t hit the ball properly from twelve meters after a Hanshaw pass. A shot by Nicole Billa went well over the target (22′), a shot by Sarah Zadrazil was blocked in dire need (27′) and an attempt by Laura Wienroither also failed to find its way into the goal (31′). The ÖFB selection repeatedly put the hostesses under pressure with pressing, had a playful advantage, but lacked the necessary callousness.
At the back was the newly assembled defense from the world number 19. little tested for the time being and a carelessness in the 36th minute had no consequences, as Barbara Dunst, who had hurried back, was able to clear just before the Belgian captain Tessa Wullaert was ready to score.
Successful move
39 seconds after the restart, the Fuhrmann-Elf failed to make a dream start. After a Feiersinger ideal pass, Dunst came to the end free-standing on the edge of the penalty area, but lacked the necessary coolness and shot over it. Apparently that was also a wake-up call for the locals, who stepped up a gear and suddenly set the tone. ÖFB goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger had to excel twice for the first time in a duel with Wullaert (50th).
After an hour, Fuhrmann brought Plattner into the game, which turned out to be a successful move. The 21-year-old Tyrolean hit the corner from an acute angle with her left after a Wienroither cross was only briefly blocked. Plattner had previously initiated the action. It was the fourth goal in the ninth international match for the Potsdam legionnaire, with which she underlined her current top form. In doing so, she also ensured that, on the eleventh attempt, they achieved only their second win in a direct duel with Belgium after a 2-1 test on August 14, 2013.
Austria thus won in the immediate preparation for the European Championship against Belgium as well as England on June 16 with a 3:0 in Wolverhampton. Northern Ireland suffered a 4-1 defeat in Lier on Thursday. The Northern Irish are the second ÖFB European Championship opponents on July 11th, and Norway is still waiting at the end of Group A on July 15th.
Source: Nachrichten
