EUROPE: World Cup – Qualification
Date: 12-11-21
Time: 8:45 PM
Venue: Wörthersee Stadion (Klagenfurt)
While Austria (W3, D1, L4) can no longer finish second in UEFA World Cup qualification (WCQ) Group F, they can still reach the play-offs as one of the two best-placed UEFA Nations League group winners so they’ve got everything to play for starting here. That’s one reason why this could be a good game for neutrals while another is that the last three H2Hs (W1, L2) – including the 5-2 hammering Austria received in the reverse match – produced a mammoth average of 5.67 goals per match!
They’ve struggled for consistency at home though, with each of their last six matches producing a different result from the one beforehand (W2, D2, L2) and defeats here to Denmark in March and Scotland in September put paid to their automatic qualification chances.
Israel (W4, D1, L3) are still in the hunt for second spot in Group F but trailing Scotland by four points with two games remaining, the pressure is on as they travel to Wörthersee Stadion as defeat would end their hopes of a first World Cup appearance since 1970. The visitors are seeking a fifth WCQ win in one campaign for the first time, although it would prove academic should Scotland win against minnows Moldova.
Such an outcome would leave them ruing their poor away form, as defeats in Denmark and Scotland, both in matches that produced exactly five goals, have left them playing catch-up throughout this WCQ cycle. Their record here is hardly inspiring either, as they’ve never won in Austria (D1, L3) although positively, they did score in each of those affairs and a draw would – if Scotland lose – keep them alive.
Players to watch: Austria’s Marko Arnautović has netted in each of his last two appearances for Bologna, both strikes coming after the 75th minute. In contrast, Eran Zahavi has scored seven times in Israel’s last five internationals, five of those goals coming before half-time.
Recent Stats:
- Austria’s form in last 5 matches: LWLLW.
- Israel’s form in last 5 matches: WLLWW.
PREDICTION: Draw/Away and Under 4.5
