Austria‘s national football team started the Nations League with a draw. In the first international match since the bitter round of 16 exit at the European Championship against Turkey two months ago, the ÖFB selection drew 1:1 (1:1) with Slovenia in an intense encounter in Ljubljana on Friday.
Team manager Ralf Rangnick’s team missed out on sole leadership in League B Group 3 after Norway could only manage a 0:0 draw in Kazakhstan. Ljubljana. In Slovenia, former Salzburg player Benjamin Sesko (16th) put the European Championship round of 16 team ahead with a handball penalty, and Bayern legionnaire Konrad Laimer (28th) equalized for the red-white-red team a short time later. Slovenia remained unbeaten after 90 minutes in their eleventh international match in a row, losing to Portugal in a penalty shootout at the EURO. On Monday (8.45 p.m./live ORF 1), Austria’s second group match against Norway, including striker Erling Haaland, is scheduled for Oslo.
Rangnick had to compensate for nine absences in Slovenia. In central defence, David Alaba and four potential regular players were missing: Gernot Trauner, Kevin Danso and Philipp Lienhart. The national coach opted for the duo Maximilian Wöber and Stefan Posch, who was recently the regular right-back, in the centre. This position was taken over by right-footer Phillipp Mwene, who switched sides, while Alexander Prass defended at left back.
Marko Arnautovic was the solo striker in attack, while Christoph Baumgartner initially sat on the bench due to his lack of training. The same was true of the two strikers Jon Gorenc Stankovic and Tomi Horvat for the hosts. Former ÖFB junior team player Sandi Lovric started for the Slovenians.
Loudly cheered on by around 1,100 fans who had travelled to the Stozice Stadium, the ÖFB team almost managed to get off to a lightning start. But Arnautovic shot wide after eleven seconds. In front of the eyes of Slovenian UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, Rangnick’s team lacked the necessary precision in the opening phase, while the Slovenians stood compactly and managed to deliver pinpricks of their own.
A shot by Petar Stojanovic after a nice combination went just wide, but Mwene deflected the ball slightly with his outstretched upper arm (13th). After VAR intervention and viewing the TV images, the Romanian referee Radu Petrescu pointed to the penalty spot, and Leipzig striker Sesko sank the resulting penalty into the top left corner.
The ÖFB team continued to struggle and only slowly found their way into the game. Sabitzer’s shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Slovenian goalkeeper Matevz Vidovsek (27th), who was replacing the sick star goalkeeper Jan Oblak. A minute later, red-white-red were celebrating: Mwene served Laimer with a delicate cross into the penalty area, and the 27-year-old Salzburg player finished in the near corner for his fifth international goal.
With the feeling of success, the confidence in the ÖFB game returned. Shortly before the half-time whistle, Arnautovic was unable to get a header on goal (45th+1). Baumgartner came on for Wimmer at half-time, but the Leipzig professional was disturbed at the last moment in the 48th minute. Rangnick’s eleven now controlled the intense game, and Slovenia rarely posed a threat. Vidovsek defused a long-range shot from Sabitzer (65th), and Jan Mlakar shot into the side netting for the hosts (77th).
In the closing stages, 31-year-old Kevin Stöger made his international debut, and Junior Adamu was also supposed to bring a breath of fresh air to the offense. Sabitzer took a Stöger corner directly, but the ball went well over the bar (86′). In the end, neither side had the strength for a final offensive.
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Austria’s National Football Team Kicks Off UEFA Nations League with Draw Against Slovenia
Austria’s national football team started their UEFA Nations League campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Slovenia in Ljubljana on Friday. This match marked the team’s first international encounter since their disappointing exit from the European Championship against Turkey two months ago.
Slovenia, who remained unbeaten in their eleventh international match in a row, took the lead through a handball penalty scored by former Salzburg player Benjamin Sesko in the 16th minute. However, Austria equalized just 12 minutes later through Bayern legionnaire Konrad Laimer’s fifth international goal. The match ended in a stalemate, with neither side able to find a winning goal.
Austria’s team manager Ralf Rangnick was forced to make several changes to his lineup due to the absence of nine key players, including David Alaba, Gernot Trauner, Kevin Danso, and Philipp Lienhart. The coach opted for the duo Maximilian Wöber and Stefan Posch in central defense, with Philipp Mwene switching sides to take up the right-back position and Alexander Prass defending at left back.
Marko Arnautovic led the attack as the solo striker, while Christoph Baumgartner started on the bench due to his lack of training. The same applied to Slovenian strikers Jon Gorenc Stankovic and Tomi Horvat.
Austria almost got off to a flying start, but Arnautovic shot wide just 11 seconds into the match. The Slovenians, led by former ÖFB junior team player Sandi Lovric, stood compactly and managed to create several scoring opportunities of their own.
The ÖFB team struggled to find their rhythm in the opening phase, but gradually gained confidence after Laimer’s equalizing goal. Sabitzer’s shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Slovenian goalkeeper Matevz Vidovsek, who replaced the sick star goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Vidovsek also defused a long-range shot from Sabitzer in the 65th minute.
In the closing stages, 31-year-old Kevin Stöger made his international debut, and Junior Adamu was introduced to bring fresh energy to the offense. However, neither side had
Slovenia vs Austria live score
Austria’s Nation’s League Campaign: A Hard-Fought Draw Against Slovenia
Austria’s national football team kicked off their Nations League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Slovenia in an intense encounter at the Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana on Friday [[1]]. The match marked the first international game for Austria since their bitter round of 16 exit at the European Championship against Turkey two months ago.
The Match
The game started with a lively pace, with Austria’s Marko Arnautovic shooting wide just 11 seconds into the match. However, it was Slovenia who took the lead in the 16th minute through a handball penalty scored by former Salzburg player Benjamin Sesko [[3]]. The ÖFB team struggled to find their rhythm in the opening phase, but managed to equalize just 12 minutes later through Bayern legionnaire Konrad Laimer’s fifth international goal.
Lineup and Strategy
Austria’s team manager Ralf Rangnick was forced to make some changes to his lineup due to injuries, with David Alaba and four other potential regular players missing from the central defense. Maximilian Wöber and Stefan Posch formed an unfamiliar center-back partnership, with Philipp Mwene switching to the left-back position and Alexander Prass taking over at right-back [[1]].
Game Analysis
Despite dominating possession and creating more scoring chances, Austria struggled to capitalize on their opportunities. Slovenia, on the other hand, remained compact and managed to pose a threat on the counter-attack. Austria’s equalizer came through a delicate cross from Mwene to Laimer, who finished in the near corner [[1]].
Upcoming Matches
Austria will face Norway, including striker Erling Haaland, in their next group match on Monday in Oslo. The result leaves Austria in second place in League B Group 3, behind Norway, who drew 0-0 with Kazakhstan. Slovenia, meanwhile, remains unbeaten in their last 11 international matches, having lost to Portugal in a penalty shootout at the European Championship [[1]].
Return Leg
The return leg between Austria and Slovenia is scheduled to take place on November 17, 2024, at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Wien [[2]]. The match promises to be another intense encounter, with both teams looking to secure a crucial win in the Nations League.
Austria’s 1-1 draw against Slovenia was a hard-fought result that showed the team’s resilience and determination. Despite missing key players, Rangnick’s team managed to secure a valuable point, and will look to build on this result in their upcoming matches.
