Requiring three more points to ensure their place at Euro 2024, Austria meet Azerbaijan at Tofiq Bahramov Stadium on Monday evening.
While the visitors could even qualify with a draw if other results go their way, their hosts only registered a first Group F win on Friday.
Three goals down at home to the Red Devils before the hour mark, it took late goals from Konrad Laimer and Marcel Sabitzer to reduce the Austrians' deficit in a 3-2 defeat, which leaves them three points behind their Belgian counterparts in the standings with two games to play.
While Romelu Lukaku and co have now qualified directly for Euro 2024, Austria must still beat Azerbaijan - or avoid losing by at least three goals and hope Sweden fail to beat Belgium - in order to claim their ticket this month.
After winning four of their first five fixtures, conceding only four goals in the process, Das Team have endured their first real setback on the road to neighbouring Germany, where next summer's finals will be held, but they still sit seven points clear of third-placed Sweden having played one game more.
0 Comments