Daniel Bachmann: Not enough
Bachmann completed his 14th international match, but the first under team manager Ralf Rangnick in the starting line-up. This comeback couldn’t have gone worse. When Danso returned – anything but flawless – Bachmann chose his head and not his chest to receive the ball. The result was a serious mistake that led to 0:1 in the third minute. After that there wasn’t much to hold on to, which makes the mistake even more serious.
Dejan Ljubicic: Enough
Rangnick dared to experiment with the Cologne legionnaire and offered him as a right-back. Ljubicic acted more as a winger than as a defensive player. The ex-Rapidler tried hard and tried to succeed with direct play. In most cases, however, this did not happen. In the 35th minute he had to be substituted.
Kevin Danso: Enough
The central defender didn’t seem quite as stable as in the previous European Championship qualifiers. Above all, his return pass was not necessary in this way. In the few offensive moves by the Moldovans, Danso didn’t get much to blame, his build-up game was far too one-dimensional. The Lens legionnaire was often on the ball, but he usually transported it into the opposing half with high but harmless passes.
Philipp Lienhart: Satisfactory
The Freiburg legionnaire was not really challenged defensively. Moldova have rarely been dangerous from open play. After the 0:1 Lienhart seemed a little unsure and made a bad pass. He solved his not too difficult task as a central defender solidly.
David Schnegg: Satisfactory
The Sturm Graz player made his national team debut as a left-back against the Moldovans. Schnegg’s respect for the career moment could be seen in some actions, he didn’t seem very relaxed and made avoidable mistakes. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old had his good scenes against and with the ball.
Konrad Laimer: Satisfactory
Laimer captained the national team for the second time in his career. Gentle action is not part of the Bayern legionnaire’s vocabulary, which is why he showed full commitment against Moldova. There wasn’t much from the ÖFB team in the first half, but Laimer posed a danger in the end. He stayed in the dressing room at the break.
Nicolas Seiwald: Enough
The Leipzig Legionnaire was one of the few regular players to play in the first half. However, Seiwald couldn’t stand out from the rest and adapted to the quality of the weak game. He had no urge for offensive actions. He had the best chance to equalize just before the break, but missed it twice. After the change of sides, like the rest of the team, he felt more comfortable.
Florian Grillitsch: Satisfactory
The Hoffenheim player played his usual role and distributed the balls without causing any danger. Against a defensive opponent like Moldova, however, much more speed and creativity was required. After the break, Grillitsch moved to an unfamiliar position, in defense. A Moldovan counterattack showed that this is not his greatest strength. In the running duel he was clearly inferior.
Florian Kainz: Enough
The Cologne captain delivered a completely inconspicuous first half in left midfield and only appeared when the ball was stationary. Kainz was very little involved in the game with the ball. After the break, he also came into his own thanks to the prominent changes. However, Kainz was unable to use the qualifying postulated by Rangnick for Sweden. The game was over for him in the 62nd minute.
Karim Onisiwo: Enough
Onisiwo got his chance as a typical ÖFB player from the second row against Moldova. For the first time in a year, the offensive player was back in the starting lineup. The Mainzer had a very useful chance to equalize, but the first contact with the ball wasn’t good enough to use it. Otherwise, Onisiwo became a victim of poor play in the first half. However, he did little to change that.
Michael Gregoritsch: Good
Linz remains good ground for the striker. After Estonia and Azerbaijan, Gregoritsch met for the third time in the Upper Austrian capital. At the beginning, the Freiburg player was more of a ball distributor than an executor. He then disappeared into obscurity, only to reappear after the break. In the 50th minute he hit the far corner with his left foot and scored his eleventh international goal.
Stefan Posch: Satisfactory
The Bologna legionnaire replaced the ailing Ljubicic after half an hour. Posch acted inconspicuously and limited himself to the few defensive tasks. Shortly before the end he appeared on the offensive, but his uninspired cross pass landed on the opponent.
David Alaba: Gut
The use of the ÖFB star was not actually planned, but due to the very disappointing first half, Rangnick changed his plan and brought Alaba to the break. However, the captain did not go into central defense. Alaba acted much more in midfield and drove his teammates there. The result was smoother actions and combinations across multiple stations.
Xaver Schlager: Satisfactory
Schlager was also used in the second 45 minutes and was also a factor in the ÖFB-Elf appearing with more speed. However, the Leipzig legionnaire was not able to set quite as many accents as hoped. A mistake by him also initiated a counterattack for Moldova. More or less the only offensive action by the guests in the second half.
Christoph Baumgartner: Satisfactory
Baumgartner came on the right flank and, like the rest of the team, tried to turn things around. The Leipziger tried hard. A deflected shot from him almost ended up in the goal. Otherwise Baumgartner had his share that it was still a draw. But he couldn’t really show off.
Marko Arnautovic: Gut
The presence of Arnautovic alone ensures a different style of play in the ÖFB team. The Inter-Legionnaire showed good running paths, was playable and was involved in several combinations. So Arnautovic was also involved in the creation of the second goal. He had to be treated after being hit on his foot. Let’s hope that doesn’t become a problem for the Sweden game.
Marcel Sabitzer: Satisfactory
Rangnick had not actually planned to use the neo-Dortmunder either. Sabitzer caused danger with his shots. He was unlucky in the 72nd minute when his shot hit the pole. Shortly before the end he twisted his left foot. A yellow card, which he received criticism for, showed how much Sabitzer wanted to win.
