This international match chapter of the Austrian national soccer team will be filed very quickly and kept in the furthest corner of the archive. Marko Arnautovic’s volley in the 87th minute prevented a disgrace in the 1-0 (0-0) win against Andorra in Malaga.
“I don’t want to know what would happen if we lost the game. Everyone would hit us,” said ÖFB team player Christoph Baumgartner before the game. With 23:1 shots on goal, they were a long way from defeat, but also from a playful firework display.
ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick had mixed up his starting eleven properly. This is how LASK goalkeeper Alexander Schlager made his first national team appearance since March 31, 2021 in the 0: 4 World Cup qualifier against Denmark. Yesterday Schlager, who played until the break, was unemployed and Austria’s opponents barely got over the middle line. The defense organized by Upper Austrian Gernot Trauner had no trouble. In midfield, Linz-born Alexander Prass also made his starting eleven debut when he was called up for the first time.
The Rangnick team dominated the game from the first minute. Opponents Andorra, who had lost only one of their last four games against Liechtenstein (2-1, 2-0), Latvia (1-1) and Moldova (1-2), skillfully touched concrete with a five-man defense. The best chance before the break was missed by Michael Gregoritsch, whose header hit the crossbar (22′). Rangnick’s five-time change at the break had nothing to do with the result. That’s how Marko Arnautovic came on the field, who was involved in the second crossbar shot of the game. It was almost an art that Salzburg player Junior Adamu didn’t put Arnautovic’s ideal header in the goal from two meters (48′). Arnautovic then made it better in the finish after a Sabitzer cross with his volley goal.
Andorra 1-0 Austria (0-0)
Goals: 1: 0 (87th) Arnautovic
Austria (3-5-2): A. Schlager (46th Hedl); Posch,
Trauner, Wöber (67th Alaba); Mwene (46th Weimann), X. Schlager (46th Adamu), Grillitsch, Prass (46th Baumgartner); Sabitzer, Kainz; Gregorych (46. Arnautovic)
Andorra (5-4-1): Alvarez; Chus Rubio (Viladot 88), Llovera, Guillen, Alavedra, Marc Garcia; Alex Martinez (76th J. Fernandez), M. Vieira (87th Reyes), Rebes (66th Vales), Cervos (87th J. Rubio); R Fernandez (61st Rosas).
Yellow: Llovera
Málaga, La Rosaleda, 150 ; Munuera (Spain).
Source: Nachrichten
