Austria is facing a showdown in the fight for its first World Cup participation in 28 years.
Coach Ralf Rangnick’s team did their duty on Saturday with a 2-0 (1-0) win in Cyprus, but their pursuers Bosnia-Herzegovina then followed suit with a 3-1 (0-1) win against Romania and are still only two points behind.
The ÖFB team therefore needs a draw in the “final” in Vienna against Bosnia on Tuesday in order to go to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Record goalscorer Marko Arnautovic gave the Alpenkickers the lead with a penalty after a foul on Christoph Baumgartner from Leipzig (18th) and secured the preliminary decision with his second goal after the break (56th). With Baumgartner, Marcel Sabitzer, Romano Schmid, Nicolas Seiwald, Konrad Laimer, Xaver Schlager and Philipp Lienhart, a total of seven Bundesliga professionals were in the starting line-up, with captain David Alaba missing due to suspension.
After the victory, Austria kept its fingers crossed for Romania from afar, but Bosnia-Herzegovina managed the victory they needed. Old master Edin Dzeko (49th), Esmir Bajraktarevic (79th) and Gladbach’s Haris Tabakovic (90th + 4) scored after Daniel Birligea (17th) went behind. From the 68th minute, Romania, which now has no chance of participating in the World Cup, had to make do with ten men after a red card against Denis Dragus (68th).