Sabitzer shines: Austria stay on track for World Cup qualification | OneFootball

The Austrian national team has taken a significant step towards its first participation in a World Cup finals since the 1998 tournament in France on Tuesday evening. The ÖFB team won 2-1 against the strongest and previously flawless group rival Bosnia and Herzegovina and now holds all the cards with four games remaining – not least thanks to Marcel Sabitzer.

Sabitzer, who had already scored the goal of the day with a penalty in the unexpectedly tough 1-0 home win against Cyprus on Saturday and was subsequently named Man of the Match by FIFA, also put Austria ahead shortly after the restart in Zenica after an intense and largely balanced first half. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder capitalized on a failed clearance by the hosts and decisively struck for Austria's 1-0 lead.

However, the joy over the lead was short-lived. Practically in response, veteran Edin Dzeko equalized for the Bosnia and Herzegovina team, which had entered the match with the optimal haul of twelve points from the first four games and was therefore full of hope for a second World Cup participation after 2010.

Austria in Pole Position for the Direct World Cup Ticket

However, Bosnia and Herzegovina's chances for the direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup were dampened a quarter of an hour after Dzeko's equalizer. Konrad Laimer took advantage of an unintentional assist from Marko Arnautovic to make it 2-1 for Austria, which the team of head coach Ralf Rangnick managed to hold onto with a bit of luck and skill until the end.

Although Austria is still only second in the standings due to a worse goal difference behind the equally-pointed leader Bosnia and Herzegovina, it has, unlike the four group rivals, only played four instead of five games. Three wins and a draw in the remaining four matches would therefore definitely suffice for the ÖFB team to qualify for the World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.