Nations League | League B

Nov 17, 2024 at 5pm UK

Ernst-Happel-Stadion

Austriavs.Slovenia

Match preview

The permutations in Group B3 are perhaps the most complicated of all on Matchday Six, with very different head-to-head records between Austria, Slovenia and Norway.

Austria are currently top and need to equal Norway's result to win the group and gain automatic promotion to League A, but a defeat here would see them drop to third and enter a play-off to avoid relegation to League C.

Ralf Rangnick's side's 5-1 win over Norway last month means they have the edge on Stale Solbakken's side in the head-to-head standings, with both sides currently on 10 points.

However, after a 1-1 draw away to Slovenia on the opening day in Ljubljana, a defeat here would see the visitors level on 10 points, but also leapfrog them on the head-to-head record.

The task for Rangnick's men is therefore simple - win - and there will be no need to worry about the two teams below them.

They go into the game on the back of a very comfortable 2-0 win in Kazakhstan on Thursday, with Christoph Baumgartner and Michael Gregoritsch scoring first-half goals in subzero temperatures in Almaty.

Sheer dominance from start to finish could have seen the Austrians win by a bigger margin, especially when the hosts were reduced to 10 men midway through the first half, but they were unable to add to the scoreline after the break.

It was their third successive win in the group, scoring 11 goals in the process, and immediate promotion back to the top flight could be the first sign that they are the real deal under Rangnick after failing to live up to their early promise at Euro 2024.

Despite the draw against Slovenia, Austria should feel confident going into this game, having won the three previous meetings between the two nations, most recently a 1-0 home and away win in Euro 2020 qualifying.

While Austria's objective is simple, so is Slovenia's, but they must win or be condemned to the relegation play-offs.

Thursday's 4-1 home defeat to Norway means they can no longer finish above them under any circumstances, but a win here will move them into second place and give them the chance to reach Group A via the play-offs.

A task that will be made all the more difficult by the fact that their only victories in the section so far have come against whipping boys Kazakhstan.

Their last competitive win before this Nations League campaign also came against the Kazakhs in Euro 2024 qualifying, meaning Matjaz Kek's men are winless in their last eight matches against other nations.

Unless Kek's men can conjure up a heroic performance from somewhere, they look destined for the relegation play-offs, just months after missing out on the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on penalties.

Recent Performance

Austria Nations League form:DLWWW

Austria form (all competitions):LDLWWW

Slovenia Nations League form:DWLWL

Slovenia form (all competitions):LDWLWL

Team News

Austria's squad is largely unchanged from the one that featured in the Nations League.

Kevin Danso returned to the fold and played in Kazakhstan after recovering from a heart problem discovered earlier in the season, but defensive partner David Alaba remains a long-term absentee.

Marcel Sabitzer and Marko Arnautovic could come into the side, but after Baumgartner and Gregoritsch both scored on Thursday, their places are far from certain.

Slovenia's only injury absentee is midfielder Tomi Horvat, but Andraz Sporar's season at Panathinaikos has also been hampered by ongoing problems and he missed out on Thursday.

That means one of Zan Vipotnik and Zan Celar is likely to be selected ahead of him to partner star man Benjamin Sesko in attack, and despite the poor result against Norway, the RB Leipzig man was on target again to score his 16th international goal.

Possible starting lineup

Austria possible starting lineup:

Pentz; Danso, Posch, Lienhart, Mwene; Laimer, Seiwald; Schmid, Baumgartner, Sabitzer; Arnautovic

Slovenia possible starting lineup:

Oblak; Karnicik, Drkusic, Bijol, Janza; Stojanovic, Gnezda Cerin, Elsnik, Lovric; Vipotnik, Sesko