The Austrians moved into second place behind Norway in Group 3 of League B. The goals were scored by Christoph Baumgartner (10th), Philipp Lienhart (54th), Marcel Sabitzer (56th) and Matthias Seidl (79th).
Rangnick relied on Junior Adamu in the center of the attack. The Freiburg legionnaire was given preference over Marko Arnautovic. His club colleague Michael Gregoritsch, who had just recovered from a torn muscle fiber, was missing due to a flu-like infection. As expected, Gernot Trauner started in central defense alongside Philipp Lienhart. Salzburg reservist Alexander Schlager was able to gain match practice in goal, but EM goalie Patrick Pentz should be back in action on Sunday in the showdown against the Norwegians.
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National team 4-0 – Austria returned to European Championship form in Linz
Prass suspended against Norway
The most noticeable man of the first 20 minutes will be missing from the ÖFB team against the Norwegians. Alexander Prass received a yellow card early on and is suspended. Previously, the Hoffenheim legionnaire had fired a first warning shot on the left outside bar (3′), tested Kazakhstan’s goalie Igor Shatskiy with a free kick from the corner of the penalty area (8′) and made another dangerous knock (9′).
Austria was rewarded early for its initial enthusiasm. After his Leipzig colleague Nicolas Seiwald won the ball against Kazakhstan captain Askhat Tagybergen, Baumgartner pulled up and rolled the ball into the far corner. For the 25-year-old, it was the sixth ÖFB goal this year and the seventh in the last twelve international matches. The Lower Austrian ensured that the ÖFB selection has now scored at least once in 23 of their most recent 24 games.
Austria started dominantly
The Austrians clearly dominated the game in front of 14,500 spectators and could have taken a bigger lead in the first half. A shot from Konrad Laimer narrowly missed the top corner (16th), a Prass cross landed on the crossbar (18th). In addition, after a contact by Shatskiy against Baumgartner that was worth a penalty, there was no penalty despite a VAR check (20th). Adamu caught the eye on the offensive with an air mesh (26th), in the next action he put the ball on the bar from close range after strong Laimer preparatory work.
On the other hand, Stanislaw Tschertschessov’s team only posed a threat once, when Lienhart cleared a header from Baktiyor Zainutdinov after a corner (40′). After the break, the Kazakh penalty area was on fire again after a Trauner header (47′). Adamu was denied by Shatskiy (48th), in the next action the 23-year-old hesitated too long in the penalty area after another Baumgartner pass and was separated from the ball.
Image: (APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)
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Image: (APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)
The usury of opportunities did not take revenge. After a corner from Romano Schmid, Lienhart headed in relatively unchallenged for his second international goal. Two minutes later, after preparatory work by the strong Baumgartner, Sabitzer followed up with his 20th with a shot from the half-left position. The game was decided. Rangnick helped central defender Michael Svoboda make his international debut. The Venezia legionnaire replaced Trauner. Arnautovic came into the game for Adamu and Patrick Wimmer for Schmid (all 62nd).
Schlager had to save his first ball, a shot from Aslan Darabayev, in the 73rd minute. Arnautovic was denied by Shatskiy (75′), shortly afterwards the ÖFB team struck again after an action by three substitutes: Florian Grillitsch found Arnautovic with a lob, and Seidl sank his header with his right hand, dry as dust, for his first international goal.
Austria not only ended a drought of three games without a win, but also achieved their fourth home win in a row. For the first time in nine games, Rangnick’s selection didn’t concede a goal. In the five international matches against Kazakhstan, the ÖFB team always kept a clean sheet. In addition, they are unbeaten after four games in the new Linz Raiffeisen Arena, where the championship lead against Norway is at stake on Sunday.
