Ralf Rangnick’s selection beat Azerbaijan 4-1 (2-0) in Linz on Friday. The ÖFB team is the first leader in Group F. Marcel Sabitzer, who was called up as captain, shone with a brace (28′, 50′), Michael Gregoritsch (29′) and Christoph Baumgartner (69′). Azerbaijan only managed the consolation goal through Emin Mahmudov (64th).
In front of 16,500 spectators in the sold-out new Raiffeisen Arena, Rangnick put Patrick Wimmer in the starting line-up for the second time in his tenure. The 21-year-old from VfL Wolfsburg started on the left wing, Konrad Laimer came on the right. In the center of midfield, Nicolas Seiwald acted behind Sabitzer, who led the ÖFB team onto the field with the captain’s ribbon in the absence of David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic.
As expected, Alaba was not in the match squad, but received his ninth trophy as Austria’s footballer of the year before the game. The Real Madrid professional only started team training on Wednesday following a muscle injury in his thigh. Without him, ex-LASK captain Gernot Trauner and Kevin Danso formed the center of defense, while Phillipp Mwene replaced Stefan Posch, who was recently ill, as right-back. In attack, Christoph Baumgartner supported center forward Gregoritsch.
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Alaba received the “Footballer of the Year” cup before the international match in Linz
The first chance for the Austrians was initiated by Maximilian Wöber, who was called up as a left-back. Gregoritsch steered his cross clearly past the goal (16th). After Azerbaijan’s substitute goalie Yusif Imanov defused a Sabitzer shot (20′), it was Gregoritsch who missed a sitter. The Freiburg striker slammed the ball free once more following a Wöber cross from just a few meters over the goal (23′).
Sabitzer scored to make it 1-0, Gregoritsch quickly increased
The redeeming 1:0 was not long in coming. After a nice combination via Wimmer and Baumgartner, whom Rangnick had just ordered back to the right wing, Sabitzer put the ball in the left corner. Less than 100 seconds later, Gregoritsch followed up. The 28-year-old benefited from a mistake in Azerbaijan’s back line, winning the ball and slamming down the right. At his tenable finish, Imanov didn’t look good.
For Wöber, who, according to the ÖFB, was suffering from muscular problems in his left thigh, Posch (34th) came on before the break, Mwene switched to the left side of defence. ÖFB goalie Heinz Lindner had to intervene for the first time in the 42nd minute when he turned a Ramil Sheydayev shot over the bar.
After a change of sides, Sabitzer hit the side netting from a short distance following a Wimmer cross (48′). A little later, the Manchester United legionnaire sunk a free kick from just over 20 meters in the Kreuzeck. Imanov still had his hand on the ball, but didn’t tame it. For Sabitzer it was the 14th goal in the ÖFB dress, in his 69th international match the 29-year-old managed a brace for the first time.
Muhmudov prevented a clean sheet win
It might have been a rifle festival. Gregoritsch hit the crossbar from an offside position but the crossbar (52′), Wimmer (58′) and Baumgartner (63′) failed because of Imanov. On the other side, Bahlul Mustafazada was unable to get the ball past Lindner (62′). Mahmudov made sure that the ÖFB team did not achieve the third clean sheet win in a row. Azerbaijan’s captain rolled the ball into the far corner following a pass from Azer Aliyev.
Florian Kainz and Junior Adamu came on for the Austrians (68′). Baumgartner increased the lead to 4:1 following a Sabitzer corner kick. Like Gregoritsch, the 23-year-old celebrated his eighth international goal. Sabitzer grabbed his thigh a little later and said goodbye to the dressing room. Dejan Ljubicic came on for him, and Andreas Ulmer also came on for the first time under Rangnick (74′).
Shots from Ljubicic (85′) and Kainz (89′) went just wide of the goal. At the finish, a streaker with an Austrian flag tied around him caused a stir. A series of five wins in a row ended for Azerbaijan. The ÖFB team, on the other hand, ended their dry spell in Linz in the first international match in more than ten years in the Upper Austrian capital. Since 1981 Austria had not won six games in a row in Linz.
For the first time since 2016, the Austrians also made a victorious start to qualifying for a World Cup or European Championship. In the first international match of a calendar year, they were successful for the first time since 2020. Rangnick’s record as ÖFB team boss is now balanced with four wins and four defeats and one draw. His team can turn it into a positive once more on Monday (8.45 p.m. / live ORF 1) in Linz once morest Estonia.
