Analysis and prediction for Austria vs Cyprus: The underdog rises to the occasion.
The World Cup qualifying match between Austria and Cyprus will take place at 1:45 AM on September 7th. Nghe An Newspaper analyzes the teams' form, provides football commentary, and predicts the score.
Latest team news for Austria vs Cyprus
Captain David Alaba returns from a meniscus injury that has kept him out since the start of the campaign, but the Austrian defense is still without Maximilian Wober and Gernot Trauner.
Besides Alaba, goalkeeper Alexander Schlager is also returning from a wrist injury. This could force Patrick Pentz back to the bench.
Rangnick has recalled Alessandro Schopf after more than three years away from the national team, and also given a first-time opportunity to young striker Nikolaus Wurmbrand – who just scored a brace in Rapid Vienna's victory over Wolfsberger. He will compete for a starting spot with veteran Marko Arnautovic (127 caps), Michael Gregoritsch and Andreas Weimann (Derby County).
On the Cypriot side, Brazilian-born goalkeeper Fabio (Omonia Nicosia) was added this month and will compete for the starting position with Joel Mall.
Defender Nikolas Ioannou (Sampdoria) remains absent, but key players Grigoris Kastanos, Pieros Sotiriou, and Ioannis Pittas are all included in the 26-man squad. Notably, Pittas scored two of Cyprus' three goals in Group H of the qualifiers.
Latest predicted lineup for Austria vs Cyprus
Shirt:Schlager; Posch, Danso, Lienhart, Mwene; Laimer, Seiwald; Baumgartner, Sabitzer, Gregoritsch; Arnautovic
Cyprus:Mall; Satsias, Sielis, Laifis, Pileas; Kastanos, Kyriakou; Loizou, Sotiriou, Kakoullis; Pittas
Latest football match prediction: Austria vs Cyprus
Determined to secure direct qualification for next year's World Cup, Austria began their Group H qualifying campaign this summer with two consecutive wins.
First, Ralf Rangnick's team beat Romania 2-1 in Vienna, then scored four goals in just 27 minutes against weaker opponent San Marino. Although they then deliberately slowed down the pace and finished the match with a 4-0 victory, the six points put Austria level with Romania and only three points behind Bosnia-Herzegovina – while still having played at least one fewer game.
Since their last appearance at the 1998 World Cup, Austria has not returned to the biggest stage on the planet. Therefore, the pressure on the experienced coach is immense, especially after the team showed so much potential at last year's Euro.
Direct confrontations with their main competitors will determine whether they can top the group or just qualify for the play-offs. However, Austria will first host Cyprus – currently fourth in Group H.
To date, Cyprus has lost six and drawn one of their international encounters with Austria, highlighting the immense challenge facing them in the upcoming match. The only time Cyprus avoided defeat was in a friendly in 2005 – also their only meeting this century – and they are currently ranked 106 places lower than the hosts in the FIFA rankings.
In Group H, Cyprus started with a win against San Marino, but then lost 1-2 to Bosnia and suffered another defeat away to Romania. In a friendly match in June, they drew with Bulgaria, but then lost 0-2 in Bucharest, conceding two goals before halftime.
Having struggled in the Nations League and lost eight consecutive matches in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Cyprus is likely to miss out on its first major tournament in history.
Latest Austria vs Cyprus score prediction
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Austria vs Cyprusas follows:
- Sportsmole:Jersey 0-2 Cyprus
- WhoScore:Cyprus 1-3 jersey
- Our newspaper predicts:Jersey 0-2 Cyprus
When and where can I watch Austria vs Cyprus live?
To watch the Austria vs Cyprus match live in the World Cup qualifiers at 1:45 AM on September 7th, viewers can tune in to various online sports channels. We wish you enjoyable football viewing moments.
