ÖFB team under pressure: Showdown against Romania for World Cup qualification!

ÖFB team under pressure: Showdown against Romania for World Cup qualification!

Wien, Österreich - On June 6, 2025, a decisive World Cup qualification game for the Austrian national team is pending. ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick emphasized the importance of this meeting against Romania. Austria has been striving for participation in a World Cup again since the 1998 World Cup, and Rangnick sees the opportunities in Group H as much higher than in past qualifications. In the last five World Cup qualifications, however, Austria has never achieved better than third place, which leads to certain skepticism.

Rangnick demands from his team that she acts differently in this qualification. Maximum energy on the square is required to be successful against the Romanian national team, which is considered to be strong. This is characterized by a structured game structure, against the ranking of pressing situations in order to capitalize through balls.

preparations and personnel decisions

During the training week in Seefeld, the ÖFB team put a larger focus on its own game structure. Rangnick criticized the weaknesses in the exploitation of opportunities in the last Nation League games and already set his starting eleven on Thursday. Patrick Pentz is expected in the goal, while Alexander Schlager fails due to a wrist injury. In addition, captain David Alaba and Gernot Trauner are not available due to injuries.

The defense is expected to consist of Kevin Danso and Philipp Lienhart. Stefan Posch and Philipp Mwene have the best cards for the external positions, while Raul Florucz is not operational due to muscular problems. Xaver Schlager has completed all training sessions, but his commitment depends on the course of the game.

in the storm, Marko Arnautovic and Michael Gregoritsch are available, with Arnautovic performing good performances in the training sessions. Mathias Honsak could come into play as possibly decisive alternatives from the bank.

The Romanian challenge

On the part of the Romanian team, Radu Dragusin and Ianis Hagi are missing two important players. Nevertheless, the team contains strong players such as Nicolae Stanciu, who is highlighted as a key player in midfield. Rangnick also warns of the dribble -strong wing players Dennis Man and Florin Tanase, who can initiate dangerous offensive actions.

The expectation for the game in the Happel-Oval is high, with around 48,500 spectators who are supposed to create a supportive home game atmosphere. Rangnick hopes that this environment will continue to motivate the team.

The Austrian national team has a long and moving story in international football. From the first official international match in 1902 against Hungary to third place at the 1954 World Cup and the wonderful victory against Germany in 1978 at the "Miracle of Córdoba", the team experienced numerous ups and downs. After the last participation in World Cup in 1998, Austria was no longer represented at a big tournament until the team under Rangnick tried to be successful again and qualify for the World Cup.

The challenge against Romania will be crucial for whether the path to the 2026 World Cup can be paved for Austria. It remains to be seen whether the team implements the required maximum use and the necessary adjustments in order to be successful in this decisive phase of the qualification.

Kleine Zeitung reports that ... and on Wikipedia can be read the long history of the Austrian national team.