Rep. Ireland vs Austria – News and Probable Lineups

The Republic of Ireland is set to host Austria in Dublin this Thursday, as they aim to capitalize on their favorable home record and extend their unbeaten streak at home.

Both teams secured victories in their second UEFA Nations League matches last weekend and are now set to continue their campaigns in League B Group 3 at the Aviva Stadium.

Match overview

After weeks filled with speculation and concern, Ireland finally took to the pitch for their contentious match against Israel on Sunday, following doubts about whether it would actually take place.

Amid protests back home and a widespread call for a boycott, the players ultimately decided to go ahead with the fixture.

Although Heimir Hallgrimsson’s squad played away for their second of four consecutive matches, the match was held at a neutral location in Hungary.

Fans were scarce to witness an impressive first-half performance from the Boys in Green, who scored three goals before the opposition managed to respond, with star player Troy Parrott netting his seventh goal in just five competitive appearances.

This victory marked not only their first points in Group 3 but also a significant turnaround from their opening loss to Kosovo, during which they registered merely one shot on target.

Now, Hallgrimsson’s squad returns to their home ground, boasting five wins and three draws from their last eight fixtures at the Aviva Stadium; they have also kept clean sheets in their last four matches, including a notable 2-0 victory against Portugal during World Cup qualifying.

However, Ireland finds themselves ranked 32 places lower than their next opponent in FIFA’s global rankings, having recorded only one win in their past 10 encounters.

Aside from that solitary defeat in November 2016, Austria has managed to secure six wins and three draws since then, indicating they are likely to enter this match as favorites.

Recent performance aligns with this pattern, as Ralf Rangnick’s team advanced to the knockout stage in this year’s World Cup and has triumphed in both of their Nations League games so far, winning 3-1.

In the previous edition, only two teams outperformed them in terms of goals scored at the League B level, and they have maintained that trend into this campaign.

First, they overcame Israel, who were reduced to ten men, scoring twice late in the match in Linz, before comfortably defeating Kosovo on Sunday: Austria led by 3-0 at the hour mark in Vienna, securing all three points, which leaves them at the top of the standings.

After finishing second in their group two years ago, Das Team lost to Serbia in the playoffs and thus failed to achieve promotion, making it their objective to finish first in their group this time around.

This means they will be vying for another three points midweek, although Ireland’s home form has significantly improved in recent months.

Team News

As Ireland faces a tight schedule of four competitive matches within 11 days, coach Hallgrimsson may opt to adjust the starting eleven that performed well in Debrecen.

Due to earlier player withdrawals, Stoke City midfielder Bosun Lawal has been drafted into the squad following recovery from a hamstring injury.

This addition bolsters the squad numbers, with Jack Taylor, Mikey Johnston, Evan Ferguson, Jamie McGrath, and Josh Cullen all sidelined; former captain Seamus Coleman and current captain Nathan Collins are also expected to miss out.

Jack Moylan could make another appearance after netting his fourth goal in as many international caps, while there remains uncertainty whether Parrott might be given a rest.

Similarly to Coleman, Austria’s veteran player David Alaba was not included in the squad – he too was without a club until recently joining Udinese last week.

Marcel Sabitzer is taking a break from international duty, but key figure Konrad Laimer should be back in contention after recovering from an adductor injury.

Paul Wanner and Nikolas Veratschnig picked up injuries against Kosovo and have returned to their clubs; Sunderland center-back Kevin Danso is also set to miss out due to suspension.

In the likely absence of Michael Gregoritsch, who started against Israel but was substituted due to an ankle injury, either Sasa Kalajdzic, Christoph Lang, or Junior Adamu could be tasked with leading the attack.

Romano Schmid has already created six chances during this Nations League campaign and is expected to link up play between midfield and the forward line.

Republic of Irlanda probable starting XI:

Kelleher; Abankwah, Egan, O’Shea; O’Brien, Molumby, Knight, Manning; Ogbene, Moylan; Parrott

Áustria probable starting XI:

A. Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Affengruber, Wober; Siewald, X. Schlager; Wimmer, Schmid, Wanner; Adamu

Even though Austria is regarded as the favorite in this group, Ireland has achieved commendable results on home soil and is steadily improving.

Thus, the home side can strive for a draw that ends their visitors’ perfect record in Group 3 while remaining in the race for promotion.