Why Austria's Duel with Serbia Could Be Historic

Austria's national football team faces a tough challenge on Sunday evening (6:00 PM/live on ServusTV). After missing out on a victory against Serbia (1:1) in the first leg in Vienna despite clear field superiority, the decision in the play-off duel for a place in League A of the Nations League will be made in Belgrade. While fresh regular players return for the Serbs, it remains uncertain for the Austrians how long key players like David Alaba or Marko Arnautovic can participate.

Trauner Instead of Alaba?

For captain Alaba, two full-distance matches within less than 72 hours after his long injury break might still be too much. "We will not give any player too much playing time, like with Xaver Schlager, because that means there is a risk of injury," explained team coach Ralf Rangnick. "The player's health is above everything. We will not force anyone and send them into the race just to somehow win the game. The competition that begins in June takes precedence." Austria will then start the World Cup qualification against Romania.

Alaba made his international comeback on Thursday against the Serbs after a 16-month break. The Real Madrid star played only his second 90-minute match after his severe knee injury. "I tend to - especially with Xaver - not to start him," said Rangnick. "With David, it's also a question of whether it really makes sense to let him play." Instead of Alaba, the experienced Gernot Trauner, who was not used in the first leg, is likely to start in central defense. This decision might also be influenced by the possibility that the duel could be decided in extra time or a penalty shootout.

Training Without Arnie

How long Arnautovic has the strength remains to be seen. The final training session on Saturday in Vienna was skipped by the 35-year-old as well as Phillipp Mwene - according to ÖFB information, for load management reasons. Both worked inside the stadium. Rangnick considers both to be fit for action. However, Arnautovic, mainly used as a "joker" at Inter Milan, played a full match for the first time in four months on Thursday.

A "panic attack," which Arnautovic reported experiencing in the early phase of the game after knee and stomach pains, was not overemphasized by Rangnick. "I don't know if he had a panic attack. He told me he had stomach pains. The doctor gave him something for it, and then it was fine again," said the German. The load is more of a topic. "You just have to see if he is fully back to strength." Arnautovic could again be fielded as a double striker with Michael Gregoritsch. According to Rangnick, physical condition plays a crucial role.

Konrad Laimer returns to the team after serving his yellow card suspension, Xaver Schlager is only considered for a brief appearance following his knee surgery. Christoph Baumgartner, an important offensive player, is out due to a mild concussion suffered in the first leg. Alexander Prass also did not make the trip to Belgrade. A total of nine players are unavailable to the Austrian team due to injuries. According to Rangnick, seven of them had "legitimate chances" to be in the starting lineup.

Serbian Returnees

For the Serbians, defensive stars Nikola Milenkovic and Strahinja Pavlovic, Salzburg's Aleksa Terzic, and winger Andrija Zivkovic return from suspensions. All four are expected in the starting lineup. The Austrians, accompanied by 350 fans, do not want to be intimidated by the atmosphere in the 55,000-capacity Rajko Mitic Stadium. "We know that there is an extraordinary atmosphere here, especially when it's completely full," said Rangnick. However, that is unlikely to be the case on Sunday.

In the first leg, the Austrian team had significantly more ball possession but, as before in the 1-1 draw at home against Slovenia, did not capitalize on their chances. "It's not that our players are permanently suffering from a scoring drought. But in the last two games, the ratio between chances and goals hasn't been right," admitted Rangnick. However, he is not worried about it. "The team has shown in many games over the last two to two and a half years, since I've been here, that they are capable of scoring many goals."

Austria's Mini-Series

The Austrians are unbeaten in five matches. However, they have only won one of their last four away games - in November in Kazakhstan (2-0). The Austrian team is a slight favorite with the bookmakers. Rangnick was confident: "If we can bring the same performance and energy to the field as we did in Vienna, it will be difficult for Serbia even in their own stadium. But we have to achieve that first. Then it will certainly be a very, very tight and exciting game."

In the event of a draw, the match goes into extra time. If there is still no winner after 120 minutes, a penalty shootout will follow. It would be the first in the national team's history in a competitive match. So far, the Austrian men have only participated in penalty shootouts at friendly tournaments in 2005 and 2007, as well as in the 1979 Olympic qualification. In 1979 in Turkey (3-4 on penalties), only players without professional contracts were used due to amateur regulations. Therefore, the match in Antalya is not considered an official international match.

(APA/Red)

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