Austria-Sweden is a match on day four of Euro 2024 qualifying group F and is played on Tuesday at 20:45: predictions.
Austria have put their faith in a good and experienced coach like Ralf Rangnick: the choice, intriguing and ambitious at the same time, is starting to pay dividends.
The former Leipzig and Manchester United coach has the task of bringing Das Team back to the finals of a European championship after the quarter-finals they missed out on two summers ago, when Arnautovic and his team-mates’ journey was interrupted in the round of 16 against Italy, who only won in extra time. The hand of Rangnick – who was very close to AC Milan a few years ago before the Rossoneri turned to Pioli – is beginning to show. After three days, Austria have seven points, the result of two victories against Azerbaijan and Estonia, but above all of the draw (1-1) with Belgium, won on Saturday in Brussels thanks to a very solid performance. Leading from the first minutes, the Austrians did not disband after conceding Lukaku’s goal, bringing home a point that is worth its weight in gold.
The qualification target would be within reach should Rangnick’s men get the better of Sweden on matchday four.
Isak
The current standings in fact see Austria – the only one to have played all the matches together with the bottom-of-the-table Azerbaijan – at the head of Group F with 7 points, three more than the highly favoured Belgium and four more than the Swedes, direct competitors for second place. A match not to be missed, therefore, for the Scandinavian selection, who last weekend only played a friendly against New Zealand, who were beaten 4-1. In previous matches, however, the Jan Andersson-led national team had first lost 3-0 to Belgium and then overwhelmed the Azerbaijanis 5-0 with no chance of appeal. In the most recent precedents, it was Austria, undefeated in two matches against Sweden, that came out on top. The last Scandinavian success was 10 years ago, during World Cup qualifying.
The prediction
The conditions are right for an entertaining match between two teams who have found the way to goal very often in recent matches. Austria have undergone a metamorphosis (for the better) with Rangnick on the bench and should be able to avoid defeat.
Austria-Sweden likely line-up
- AUSTRIA (4-4-2): A. Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Wober; Baumgartner, Seiwald, X. Schlager, Wimmer; Arnautovic, Gregoritsch.
- SWEDEN (4-4-2): Olsen; Sundgren, Lindelof, Starfelt, Gudmundsson; Kulusevski, Olsson, Svanberg, Forsberg; Quaison, Isak.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
