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The Austrian team had to settle for 2: 2 at the start of qualifying for the World Cup in Scotland despite holding two leadership positions.
Team boss Franco Foda was unable to send the best possible team to the Hampden Park field. With Marko Arnautovic, Valentino Lazaro, Julian Baumgartlinger, Konrad Laimer, Martin Hinteregger and Stefan Posch, the ÖFB team lacked some of the best players of the past, and the ailing Marcel Sabitzer had to pass on short notice. Instead, Philipp Lienhart, Florian Grillitsch and Adrian Grbic slipped into the starting lineup.
Austria, theoretically behind Denmark (2-0 in Israel) the second-strongest force in qualifying group F, initially had more participations in the game. Never known for its clean, tech-savvy football, Scotland was expected to stay low. The guests, however, did not know what to do with their extra possession of the ball, because the red-and-white game was too static and the passes lacked speed. The finals of Kalajdzic (2nd), Baumgartner (17th) and Alaba (25th) were not mandatory, Foda’s dissatisfaction (“more speed between the lines!”) Could also be heard acoustically in empty Hamden Park.
Kalajdzic as a stimulant
After half an hour, the playful and shy Scots had also realized that the Austrians had not posed too much danger so far. Armstrong’s shots (29, 31) were a sign of life for the Scottish offense. Alexander Schlager, whom Foda had given goal preference over Daniel Bachmann and Pavao Pervan, did not do any self-promotion that night, he is likely to lose importance in the internal hierarchy. In the 41st minute, Schlager threw the ball from close range at Dykes’ legs, Christie’s next shot was parried by Lask’s keeper in dire need.
With Sasa Kalajdzic, Austria currently has a forward in top form, the 23-year-old has scored practically at will at VfB Stuttgart in recent weeks. Unsurprisingly, it was Kalajdzic who put the ÖFB team 1-0 up in the 54th minute. After a long-range shot from Grillitsch, goalkeeper Marshall bounced the ball forward, and Kalajdzic stopped where a forward had to stop.
Mistakes cost victory
However, this leadership did not have a really calming effect on the Austrians’ game, on the contrary. Moments later, Ilsanker clung to Christie in the penalty area, it should have been a Scotland penalty, but referee Del Cerro from Spain’s whistle went silent. Then Armstrong’s shot missed the long corner by just inches (58).
The tie would have been deserved at this point, he was a bit late in the 71st minute. Schlager couldn’t get out the door with a long and accessible free kick from O’Donnell. Hanley, who escaped from Ilsanker, scored 1: 1 with his head from twenty feet. As Kalajdzic once again put Austria in the lead in the 80th minute with a perfectly distressed header, Foda’s side again came very close to the long-awaited victory in this World Cup qualifier.
This was finally prevented by McGinn with a remarkable kick over the head in the 85th minute, Lainer having called off the offside. Franco Foda, team manager: “We dropped two points. If you take the initiative twice away from home, you should keep it up to date. Both goals were avoidable. “
