Nations League opener
Slovenia v Austria LIVE from 20:45
Austria's national soccer team started the Nations League with a draw! In their first international match since the bitter round of 16 exit at the European Championship against Turkey two months ago, the Austrian team drew 1:1 (1:1) with Slovenia in an intense encounter in Ljubljana on Friday.
Team boss Ralf Rangnick's side missed out on the sole lead in League B Group 3 after Norway were held to a 0-0 draw in Kazakhstan.
In Slovenia, ex-Salzburg player Benjamin Sesko (16') had given the European Championship round of 16 finalists the lead with a penalty kick, but Bayern's Konrad Laimer (28') equalized for the Red-White-Red shortly afterwards. Slovenia thus remained unbeaten after 90 minutes for the eleventh international match in a row, having only lost to Portugal on penalties at the EURO. On Monday (8.45pm), Austria will play their second group game against Norway in Oslo, with Erling Haaland the top scorer.
Mwene switched sides, Prass defended at left back
Rangnick had to make up for nine absentees in Slovenia. In addition to David Alaba, Gernot Trauner, Kevin Danso and Philipp Lienhart, four potential regulars were missing in central defense. The national team coach opted for the duo of Maximilian Wöber and Stefan Posch in the center, who had recently been a regular right-back. This position was taken over by right-back Phillipp Mwene, who switched sides, with Alexander Prass defending at left-back.
In attack, Marko Arnautovic was the solo striker, while Christoph Baumgartner initially sat on the bench due to his absence from training. Just like the two Sturm players Jon Gorenc Stankovic and Tomi Horvat for the hosts. Instead, former Austrian youth team player Sandi Lovric started for the Slovenians.
Slovenia were compact and made pinpricks
Loudly cheered on by around 1,100 supporters in the Stozice stadium, the Austrian team almost got off to another lightning start. However, Arnautovic missed after eleven seconds. In front of the Slovenian UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, Rangnick's team lacked the necessary precision in the early stages, while the Slovenians were compact and made their own pinpricks.
A shot from Petar Stojanovic after a nice combination went just wide, but Mwene deflected the ball slightly with an outstretched upper arm (13'). After VAR intervention and viewing the TV images, Romanian referee Radu Petrescu pointed to the spot and Leipzig striker Sesko dispatched the penalty into the left corner.
Laimer finished into the near corner for his fifth international goal
The ÖFB team continued to struggle and only slowly got into the game. Sabitzer failed to beat Slovenia goalkeeper Matevz Vidovsek (27) with a shot from the edge of the box, who was replacing star goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who was ill. One minute later, the Red-White-Red were celebrating: Mwene provided Laimer with a sensitive feed into the penalty area and the 27-year-old from Salzburg finished into the near corner for his fifth international goal.
The sense of achievement also brought confidence back to the ÖFB game. Shortly before the break, Arnautovic was unable to get a header on target (45.+1). Baumgartner came on for Wimmer at half-time, but the Leipzig professional was denied at the last moment in the 48th minute. Rangnick's side were now in control of the intense game, with Slovenia only rarely posing a threat. A Sabitzer shot from distance was saved by Vidovsek (65'), while Jan Mlakar hit the outside of the net for the hosts (77').
In the final phase, 31-year-old Kevin Stöger celebrated his international debut, with Junior Adamu also providing a breath of fresh air in attack. Sabitzer took a Stöger corner directly, but the ball went well over (86'). In the end, both sides lacked the strength for a final offensive.
The result:
Slovenia - Austria 1:1 (1:1)
Ljubljana, Stadion Stozice, 15,000 spectators, referee Petrescu (ROM)
Goals: 1:0 (16') Sesko (penalty), 1:1 (28') Laimer
Yellow cards: Gnezda Cerin, Janza or Prass, Laimer, Sabitzer, Mwene, Cinel (ÖFB assistant coach)
Slovenia: Vidovsek - Brekalo (86. Balkovec), Drkusic, Bijol, Janza - Stojanovic, Gnezda Cerin, Elsnik, Lovric (63. Celar) - Sporar (63. Mlakar), Sesko
Austria: Pentz - Mwene, Posch, Wöber, Prass - Seiwald - Schmid (82. Stöger), Laimer, Sabitzer, Wimmer (46. Baumgartner) - Arnautovic (82. Adamu)
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