Austria salvaged a 2–2 draw against Ireland in UEFA Nations League Group 3 of League B on matchday three, recovering from a two-goal deficit in Dublin through a late second-half scoring surge. The ÖFB-Team struggled defensively during the opening 45 minutes before second-half substitutes Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch struck within minutes of each other to split the points at the Aviva Stadium.
Aviva Stadium Atmosphere and Protest Disruptions in Dublin
Playing their first true away fixture of the calendar year outside of neutral-site World Cup matches, Ralf Rangnick’s squad stepped into an electrified Dublin atmosphere. Ireland’s physical approach and long balls immediately caused trouble for the visitors.
Troy Parrott Scores as Hosts Seize Control
Despite early attempts, including Adam Idah heading wide following a throw-in in the 3rd minute, the hosts seized control. Troy Parrott broke the deadlock in the 12th minute by weaving past Philipp Lienhart with a nutmeg, eluding David Affengruber, and squeezing a shot through the legs of 2.05-meter goalkeeper Florian Wiegele. Rangnick found clear words during the hydration break, after which the visitors gained more access to the match as Kalajdzic set up Nicolas Seiwald to shoot over the crossbar in the 25th minute, followed by Affengruber clearing a subsequent dangerous situation involving Idah. Patrick Wimmer had a left-footed shot lack power in the 31st minute, Xaver Schlager chose a cross that went to an opponent in the 33rd minute, and Wimmer was denied following a strong dribbling setup by Kalajdzic in the 40th minute. Right before halftime, a scramble in the penalty area saw Philipp Mwene prod the ball toward Nicolas Seiwald, who inadvertently brought down Adam Idah. Parrott converted the resulting 45th-minute penalty kick into the right corner to double Ireland’s advantage.
Prass and Gregoritsch Spark the Second-Half Comeback
Rangnick injected fresh legs at the interval, introducing Konrad Laimer—making his first appearance since the World Cup—alongside Michael Gregoritsch and Maximilian Wöber. The second half initially meandered before Kalajdzic directed a ball into Wimmer’s path near the edge of the box only for an opponent to step in, while the ÖFB-Team attempted to take control with functioning pressing though lacking final precision, and Ireland restricted themselves to counter-attacks routinely defused by the defense. Rangnick made his fourth substitution in the 67th minute, replacing Romano Schmid with Alexander Prass. Prass then earned a free kick at the edge of the penalty area following a strong dribbling run.
Less than six minutes later, Austria leveled the score through an opportunistic set-piece. Michael Gregoritsch curled a free kick past the defensive wall and into the far corner. Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher anticipated a shot over the defensive wall and shifted his weight, leaving the net empty as Gregoritsch’s strike nestled into the corner.
Austria Faces Kosovo Before November Promotion Fixtures
The ÖFB-Team returns to action on Sunday with an away fixture against Kosovo, which kicks off at 18:00 and will be broadcast live on ORF1. The group winner and automatic promotion contenders will ultimately be decided during the return fixtures scheduled for November against Ireland at home and Israel away.
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