Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Austria vs. Estonia - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 March 2023, 16:12
Austria will be aiming to make a perfect start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign by beating Estonia on Monday.

Ralf Rangnick's side ran out comfortable 4-1 winners against Azerbaijan on Friday, while Estonia did not play a competitive match.

Match preview

Indeed, the fixture list has been rather kind to Rangnick and Austria, with Das Team starting with two home matches against the weakest two nations in Group F.

Forwards Michael Gregoritsch and Christoph Baumgartner both got themselves on the scoresheet at Raiffeisen Arena against Azerbaijan, with Marcel Sabitzer's brace ensuring that Emin Mahmudov's strike for the visitors was little more than a consolation one.

Having lost five of six matches to succumb to relegation from League A of the Nations League last year, Rangnick will be feeling much more positive about Austria's future having put together three successive victories in more recent times.

With Sweden losing to Belgium on Friday, his side have an excellent opportunity to ensure that they retain at least a three-point lead over arguably their greatest rivals for the second automatic qualification spot in the group by winning against Estonia as expected.

Estonia, on the other hand, did not have a scheduled competitive match during the week, with Thomas Haberli's side losing 1-0 to Hungary in a friendly on Thursday.

The hosts dominated the encounter at Puskas Arena Park, although Estonia certainly had moments themselves, generating 11 shots - three of which were on target - across the course of the 90 minutes. Martin Adam's goal four minutes before half-time ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Having collected only one point from eight matches in their attempts to qualify for Euro 2020, Haberli will be expecting to perform much better than his predecessor, even if they have been handed an extremely tough task to avoid finishing bottom having been drawn alongside Belgium, Sweden, Austria and Azerbaijan in Group F.

However, Sinisargid have punched above their weight before, most notably when winning five matches during qualifying for both World Cup 2006 and Euro 2012, the latter of which they only missed out on reaching due to losing a play-off tie to Republic of Ireland.

Whether they currently have the ability at their disposal to pull off a similar achievement is a different matter, with them surely requiring a positive start in Linz on Monday if they are to have any chance of doing so.

Austria Euro Champ Qualifying form:

W

Austria form (all competitions):

L

L

L

W

W

W

Estonia form (all competitions):

W

L

W

D

W

L

Team News

Marko Arnautovic has withdrawn from Austria's squad after declaring an injury prior to their victory over Azerbaijan, meaning Baumgartner and Gregoritsch are set to lead the line once more having both bagged during the 4-1 win.

Rangnick may bring Stefan Posch into his back-line at the expense of Gernot Trauner, but otherwise the former Manchester United boss is unlikely to want to tinker too much with a winning formula.

Estonia, meanwhile, may go with the same team which competed to a decent level against Hungary in their recent friendly defeat, with Haberli likely to be hopeful that an extra day's rest could provide his team with a much needed advantage.

Captain Konstantin Vassiljev, who will turn 39-years-old in August, will be hoping to earn his 150th cap from the start.

Austria possible starting lineup:

Lindner; Mwene, Posch, Danso, Wober; Laimer, Seiwald, Sabitzer, Wimmer; Baumgartner, Gregoritsch

Estonia possible starting lineup:

Hein; Baranov, Paskotsi, Kussk; Sinyavskiy, Vassiljev, Kait, Shein, Pikk; Ojamaa, Sappinen

We say: Austria 3-0 Estonia

Austria produced an excellent performance to see off Azerbaijan - who had won five matches in a row prior to arriving in Linz - last time out and we can envisage a similarly dominant result for them against Estonia.

Previews by email

Top News

23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have supposedly shortlisted Sporting Lisbon and Uruguay wide man Maxi Araujo as a possible signing for 2025 to address their issues on the left-hand side. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Looking for what would be a first league win since September, Sparta Rotterdam and AZ Alkmaar will do battle at the Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In-form sides NEC and FC Utrecht will be looking to keep their momentum going when they face off against each other at the Goffertstadion on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham boss Marco Silva has revealed that Harrison Reed will have to undergo surgery to resolve a knee issue. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly identified RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba as a possible successor to William Saliba if the latter is lured to Real Madrid. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have supposedly earmarked Ipswich Town frontman Liam Delap as a possible transfer target for the summer of 2025. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In a match that could affect both the relegation battle and the race for European football, Borussia Monchengladbach are set to welcome St Pauli to Borussia-Park on Sunday in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Harry Kane continued his fine form this season to inspire Bayern Munich to victory on Friday night. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Holstein Kiel will hope to use their home crowd at Holstein-Stadion to spur them to victory against Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on Sunday, as they continue their quest for survival. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Football fans will forever cherish the intense jubilation that comes with their team scoring a late winning goal. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides separated by one spot will go head-to-head in the Turkish Super Lig when Besiktas welcome Goztepe SK to Tupras Stadyumu on Sunday. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After seeing their seven-match unbeaten run in the Turkish Super Lig end, Samsunspor will hope to pick up the pieces when they welcome Alanyaspor to the Samsun 19 May Stadium on Sunday. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Trent Alexander-Arnold is a major doubt for Liverpool's visit to face Southampton this weekend. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Arsenal hope to have Bukayo Saka available when they face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this weekend. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth will have the opportunity to set a new club record when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion in Saturday's Premier League contest. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Steven Gerrard has hailed the performances of Liverpool's academy graduate Curtis Jones this season. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Reece James faces an uncertain future in football due to his ongoing injury problems. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea Women will look to maintain their 100% record in all competitions when they face Manchester United Women in Sunday's Women's Super League contest at Kingsmeadow. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be looking to record their 12th La Liga victory of the 2023-24 campaign when they travel to Celta Vigo on Saturday night. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United will be bidding to make it 10 straight away league victories over promoted teams when they head to Portman Road on Sunday afternoon to tackle Ipswich Town. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed that he will not make a final decision on his squad for Sunday's Premier League clash with Ipswich Town until after Saturday's training session. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has labelled Pep Guardiola the best manager in the world and "probably the best to have ever existed on Earth". 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two places separate Willem II and NAC Breda in the Eredivisie table heading into Sunday's gameweek 13 meeting at Koning Willem II Stadion. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League football returns this weekend, with the final international break of 2024 now being completed. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Jack Grealish has revealed whether or not he would ever appear on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has insisted he will remain Manchester City manager even if the club are relegated over alleged breaches of financial rules. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming for a victory to start Patrick Vieira's tenure positively, Genoa seek maximum against a Cagliari side one place ahead of them in the Serie A table ahead of Sunday's gameweek 13 match at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim takes charge of his inaugural Manchester United match on Sunday afternoon, when his Red Devils side face Ipswich Town at Portman Road in the Premier League. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is guaranteed to set a new club record in Saturday's Premier League home meeting with Nottingham Forest. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton boss Russell Martin has confirmed that both Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek will be sidelined for "a number of weeks".