The only goal of the game was scored in the 30th minute by Lyndon Dykes from a penalty. A violent attack by Martin Hinteregger was quickly exposed by the VAR. In return, Austria had no luck with the video referee, shortly before the break, the referee’s whistle remained silent after a foul on Christoph Baumgartner.
As on Saturday against Israel, Austria could not convert a certain playful superiority into goals. 66 percent possession of the ball and 16: 8 shots on goal were statistics that did not help the ÖFB team. The first half started full of energy, with the goal against the vigor noticeably diminished.
F for almost hopeless
In the second half there was the sad climax when goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann only hit the stadium floor while attempting to clear the ground, but also prevented the possible 2-0. Offensively, the players around captain David Alaba bit their teeth at the Scottish defense. Coach Franco Foda seems to be heavily counted after this recently unsuccessful presentation of his team.
The situation in Group F is almost hopeless before the continuation in early October with the away games against the Faroe Islands (2-1 against Moldova) and the flawless leader Denmark (5-0 against Israel) as fourth group for the ÖFB team. First place, Denmark is still without conceding a goal (21: 0), is out of reach for Austria.
Four points are missing on the second Scotland, the direct duel is lost. Third Israel is three points missing, the direct duel is still open, but difficult after the 2: 5 away. The hope for the World Cup is still alive. As a winner in the Nations League, there is still the possibility of paving the way to Qatar via the play-off at the end of March 2022.
Austrians step on the gas
Christopher Trimmel, Stefan Ilsanker and Louis Schaub found themselves, in contrast to the badly unsuccessful game in Israel, again in the starting XI nominated by Foda, who this time tried a 4-2-3-1 system. Grillitsch, Ilsanker started as six, before that Schaub should crank in midfield. David Alaba had the left side to himself, Christoph Baumgartner and Marko Arnautovic lurked in front.
The ÖFB-Elf was clearly looking for reparations. From the start she sat down in the opposing half, did not let the Scots hit the ball and tried to get dangerously into the penalty area over both sides. A first shot by Marko Arnautovic in the sixth minute went just wide of Craig Gordon’s goal.
Baumgartner with a good final attempt (16th minute)
Baumgartner with a final attempt from the left, after a nice pass from Arnautovic, but the ball does not get enough spin and goes past the goal.
But the Scottish back team was still safe. The fact that the Austrians did not experience a bitter deja vu on Haifa was thanks to Daniel Bachmann, who successfully defused a Lyndon Dykes header in the eighth minute. Christoph Baumgartner, for his part, pulled a shot (16th) just past the second pole.
With hardship against the flow of the game
Apparently Dykes had decided to attack the Austrians only with the elbow first. At first the striker of the English second division side Queens Park Rangers Martin Hinteregger jumped only with the intention of ramming him, shortly afterwards Dykes tried out his ramming technique on Bachmann.
These attacks had nothing to do with British severity; they were aimed purely at intimidation. The Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov left it with a warning. With the Austrians, David Alaba had still engaged his forward gear and started the attacks again and again dynamically. However, this also left large gaps in defense for Scottish counterattacks.
VAR transfers Hinteregger
After about half an hour, the game was dominated by duels, one of which was Hinteregger’s undoing. He pulled and tugged on Che Adams’ shirt in the penalty area, and after some delay, Referee Kabakov pointed to the penalty spot after studying video. Dykes did not miss the chance to make it 1-0 (30th). This time he defeated Bachmann with a little luck, but legally.
The fans in the stadium fell silent and the Austrian team also had to regroup. Scotland had eight men in their own sixteen and shut the bulkheads. Alaba tried to create danger with flanks, but found no buyers. Stephen Clarke’s team left the space to the opponent and limited themselves to defending.
No means against Scottish concrete
Shortly before the break, referee Kabakow and the VAR team caused further displeasure, as they did not consider a blow by Stephen O’Donnell on the fiver against Baumgartner to be punishable. However, Baumgartner had also caught the Scotsman on the head. With whistles from the audience, the Bulgarian went into the dressing room.
Penalty check for Austria (45th + 3 minutes)
O’Donnell extends his arm in an air duel with Baumgartner and clears the Lower Austrian off quite heartily. The situation remains hot and Laimer comes to an end, but the Leipzig legionnaire shoots past. Only then does the VAR look at the situation and decide: no penalty.
The teams came back to the field unchanged after the break. Apparently Foda still saw no reason for changes. However, the lack of penetration continued in the second half. Austria had significantly more shares in the game, but no suitable means to break through the Scottish defensive concrete.
Playfulness and patience are lost
The ÖFB team ran out of wit more and more, and the audience also lost patience. After Alaba had hit his umpteenth flank over friend and foe and goalie Bachmann almost injured himself while trying to clear things up because he stepped into the ground without a sharp point, after an hour the first “Foda out” echoed, even if only by a few spectators -Call through the Happel oval.
Bachmann saved in the 68th minute with a parade against the breaking through O’Donnell at least the 0: 1 intermediate result, the Austrians did not want to succeed anything more countable. Team boss Foda stood tense on the sidelines, following the action almost motionless. He probably suspected that his future as the ÖFB team boss is uncertain at this score.
ÖFB team back to zero
Michael Gregoritsch had been in the game instead of Ilsanker since the 56th minute, and in the 76th minute Foda wanted to provide a final offensive with Andreas Ulmer and Yusuf Demir. A massive header from Baumgartner (79th) fell too central, Gordon was still there with his hand. In the 81st minute, Gregoritsch also had the opportunity to equalize with his head. But it stayed that way: Austria had no idea of conquering the Scots.
Cheers broke out in stoppage time, but Baumgartner was clearly offside with his “goal”. A free kick from Alaba went over the goal in stoppage time. The evening was over and for the ÖFB team after the bankruptcy of Haifa the next chance in the World Cup qualification. Only two months after the strong performance at the European Championships against the eventual winner Italy, the team of team boss Franco Foda is back to zero – playful and in the favor of the audience.
World Cup qualification
Group F, fifth matchday:
Austria – Scotland 0: 1 (0: 1)
Vienna, Ernst Happel Stadium, 18,800 spectators, SR Kabakow (BUL)
Tor: Dykes (30./Elfmeter)
Austria: Bachmann – Trimmel, Dragovic, Hinteregger, Alaba – Ilsanker (56./Gregoritsch), Grillitsch (77./Ulmer) – Laimer (88./Kara), Schaub (77./Demir), Baumgartner – Arnautovic
Scotland: Gordon – Hendry, Hanley, Tierney – O’Donnell (78./P. McGinn), Gilmour (88./Ferguson), J. McGinn, McGregor, Robertson – Adams (88./Nisbet), Dykes (71./Christie)
Yellow cards: Hinteregger, Dragovic or Adams, Hanley
