Nations League playoffs
© Imago
The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) has announced the squad for the playoff games in the Nations League against Serbia. The contingent covers a debutant with Raul Florucz. The offensive player of the Slovenian first division club Olimpija Ljubljana has Romanian roots and finally decided on a career at the ÖFB after playing in the U19 in the youth.
The long -time captain David Alaba, who was not there for around one and a half years because of a cruciate ligament rupture, is there again. The Real Madrid defender was last 2-0 against Germany in November 2023 for the national team on the field. The most valuable professional in the 25-member line-up of team boss Ralf Rangnick is the also recovered Xaver Schlager-its market value amounts to 28 million euros.
The midfielder of RB Leipzig suffered a cruciate ligament tear in May and missed participation in the European Championship in Germany. There have been knee problems out of action since January, and on the day of the announcement of the Austrian squad he celebrated his return to training. In addition to hits, 14 other professionals from the German Bundesliga were appointed-once again the Germany legionnaires put the largest block.
Austria welcomes Serbia on March 20 (8:45 p.m.) for the first leg in Vienna, three days later the second leg in Belgrade increases. The ÖFB team is about promotion to the league A.
The complete squad:
Gate: Tobias Lawal (Lask; 0), Patrick Pentz (Bröndby IF/Den; 14), Alexander Schlager (FC Red Bull Salzburg; 17)
Defense: David Alaba (Real Madrid CF/ESP; 105/15), Kevin Danso (Tottenham Hotspur/Eng; 24/0), Stefan Lainer (Borussia Mönchengladbach/Ger; 39/2), Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg/GER), Phillipp Mwene (1. FSV 05/Ger; 20/0), Alexander Prass (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim/GER; 13/0), Leopold Querfeld (1. FC Union Berlin/GER; 4/0), Gernot Trauner (Feyenoord Rotterdam/Ned; 15/2)
Midfield: Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig/GER; 48/18), Muhammed Cham (Trabzonspor/Tur; 3/0), Florian Grillitsch (Real Valladolid CF/ESP), Konrad Laimer (FC Bayern Munich/GER; 46/5), Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 87/20), Xaver Schlager) (RB Leipzig/GER; 43/4), Romano Schmid (SV Werder Bremen/GER; 21/2), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig/GER; 34/0), Kevin Stöger (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 3/0), Patrick Wimmer (VfL Wolfsburg/GER; 21/1)
Attack: Marko Arnautovic (Inter Miland/ITA; 121/39), Raul Florucz (NK Olimpija Ljubljana/Svn; 0), Michael Gregoritsch (SC Freiburg/GER; 62/19), Marco Grüll (SV Werder Bremen/GER)