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Austria did not get more than 1-1 against a Norwegian emergency team, because Foda’s selection disappointed again. Promotion in the League of Nations was still successful.
Austria’s national soccer team struggled to beat Norway 1: 1 in the final match of the Nations League group stage. The leadership of the guests by Ghayas Zahid (61st) in the empty Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna only tied Joker Adrian Grbić in the 94th minute. The ÖFB team thus obtained first place in group B1, which, in addition to a Additional opportunity for a ticket to the Qatar World Cup 2022, also promotes promotion to the elite group of the Nations League. In the next edition of the competition Austria will compete with calibers such as France, Italy or Spain.
The match against Norway was unique. The northern Europeans arrived in Vienna with an emergency selection after the national health authority sent their national team to quarantine on Saturday due to a player’s positive crown test. Therefore, the team was unable to travel to the away game in Bucharest on Sunday. The game was canceled and UEFA qualified Romania 3-0.
The Norwegian association reacted creatively, on short notice, 18 players from all over Europe were called up for the Nations League showdown against Austria. The last training session on Tuesday at Happel Stadium was the motley team’s only common unit, most notably the fact that the guests from the far north were no less rehearsed than the Austrian team, who have been working together for many years. . Six Norwegians in the starting eleven made their A-team debut unexpectedly, some returning on short notice, such as ex-Rapidler Veton Berisha.
Dejected, even before Norway’s emergency team
The fact that Norway’s emergency team took on the Austrians, who were clearly going to be the favored ones, and posed problems for the entire 95 minutes, may make you wonder, but this fact was not really surprising. The ÖFB team have been undefeated for six games (the last and only loss in 2020 was 2: 3 against Romania in Klagenfurt), but it hasn’t really convinced them for a long time. Austria was too slow recently, too vague, but above all too discouraged, as evidenced by the lack of pressure. But who, if not a completely newly formed Norwegian team, do you want to play Pressing?
Austria allowed the Norwegians to gain more fluidity and self-confidence with every minute, the guests continuing to appear dangerously in front of ÖFB goalkeeper Pavao Pervan even before Ghayas Zahid (61st) scored. And the Austrians? Usually they acted too shy, the only ray of hope was Marko Arnautović. After the deficit, there was no sign of an assault by Foda’s side, and the last-minute equalization of French legionnaire Grbić (94th) cannot and should not overlook anything.
The ÖFB team and management team, especially team boss Foda and sporting director Peter Schöttel, must now find solutions for the national team during the winter holidays. Otherwise, undesirable development will continue unchecked in 2021.
(“Die Presse”, printed edition 11/19/2020)
