In a week’s time on Thursday, Austria’s national soccer team will try to take the first of two steps in the World Cup play-off against Wales in order to still be able to take part in the World Cup in Qatar. You need a win to then play against the winner of the match Ukraine v Scotland for a World Cup ticket.
ÖFB team boss Franco Foda does not have Stefan Ilsanker and Alessandro Schöpf in his squad, who have had little match practice lately. The injured Xaver Schlager, Valentino Lazaro, Sasa Kalajdzic and Stefan Lainer are returning. Foda: “I didn’t want to change much, the called-up players know the procedures.”
The goalkeeper question becomes interesting. Daniel Bachmann, last goalkeeper in the ÖFB team, has not played for Watford FC after the change of coach to Roy Hodgson. Heinz Lindner (FC Basel) and Patrick Pentz (Austria Vienna) are the alternatives. Foda: “I would field any of the three goalkeepers without hesitation.” LASK goalkeeper Alex Schlager, like Thomas Goiginger and Sascha Horvath, has been nominated on demand.
Because the ÖFB selection then has to wait until June for the play-off final in the event of promotion, a test match will be added on March 29th. In case of promotion, the opponent will be the loser of the play-off game between Sweden and the Czech Republic. In the event of an out against Wales, however, Scotland would be fixed as a test opponent.
It is also completely open when exactly the play-off final will take place in June. The calendar is already full with the Nations League games against Croatia, France and twice against Denmark with four games between June 3rd and 13th. There is a good chance that the play-off final will be scheduled instead of a Nations League game. Also spicy: The World Cup draw will take place in April. Austria would be included in a draw against Wales with little knowledge of whether they will actually make it to November’s finals.
Source: Nachrichten
