Ralf Rangnick faces an interesting test as his Austria squad prepares to take on Romania in their upcoming Nations League fixture. The Austrian manager has seen his team develop into quite the offensive threat recently.
Austria enter this match looking to bounce back from their disappointing 2-0 defeat against Serbia, where despite dominating possession (65%) and creating 12 attempts on goal, they couldn't find the net. Serbia, meanwhile, made their chances count with Nemanja Maksimović and Dušan Vlahović scoring the decisive goals.
Despite that setback, Rangnick's men have shown considerable attacking prowess in recent months. They've managed to score 13 times in their last six outings – averaging 2.17 goals per match. Not bad for a side looking to establish themselves among Europe's more consistent performers.
On the other side, Romania come into this fixture with some momentum after thrashing San Marino 5-1 in their World Cup qualifier. The Romanians controlled that game with 75% possession and peppered the San Marino goal with 18 attempts. Four different players got on the scoresheet – Mihai Popescu, Răzvan Marin, Ianis Hagi, and Denis Alibec – showing their attacking diversity.
Interestingly, Romania's defense has also been quite solid recently, conceding just 4 goals in their previous 6 matches while scoring 17. Can they maintain this defensive discipline against Austria?
The history between these two sides favors Austria. Their last meeting in the Nations League in October 2020 ended with Austria securing a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to Alexander Schöpf's 75th-minute strike.
Betting markets seem to align with this historical advantage, offering odds of 1.34 for an Austrian win compared to 9.5 for Romania to cause an upset. A draw stands at 5.0.
Predictions suggest Austria should handle this fixture comfortably, with a likely scoreline of 2-0 being forecast. Romania might struggle to find the net against an Austrian side eager to redeem themselves after their Serbian disappointment. Will Rangnick's tactical approach prove too much for the Romanians? We'll find out soon enough.
