Three penalties in the game

ÖFB women win and advance to the European Championship play-off final

Sarah Puntigam scored a brace.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria's women's national team has confidently reached the 2nd play-off round of the European Championship qualifiers. The ÖFB team beat Slovenia 2:1 in front of 2,600 spectators in Ried on Tuesday evening and, after winning 3:0 on the road, came out on top 5:1 on aggregate. 

This means that only one hurdle remains to be overcome on the way to a third consecutive European Championship appearance. On November 29 (away) and December 3 in Vienna, they will meet Poland again.

The Poles defeated Romania 4:1 in Gdansk after narrowly winning the first leg 2:1. Striker Ewa Pajor was outstanding with a brace. Austria had beaten Pajor and Co. twice 3:1 in the group stage. In the Innviertel Arena, ÖFB captain Sarah Puntigam took center stage not only because of her 150th international match. The 32-year-old US international also crowned her anniversary with a penalty double (62', 74'). These were her 23rd and 24th international goals, five of which came in the current European Championship qualifiers, including one from the spot in the first leg in Slovenia.

Sarah Puntigam

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

ÖFB team boss Irene Fuhrmann only made one forced change to her team. Eileen Campbell, who had suffered a circulatory collapse on Monday, was replaced by Nicole Billa, who wore a mask after breaking her nose. On the right side of defense, midfielder Annabel Schasching was once again able to prove herself. After a tribute to Puntigam by ÖFB president Klaus Mitterdorfer and ÖFB sporting director Peter Schöttel, the ÖFB team started the game better than in Friday's match in Koper and created more chances.

Virginia Kirchberger (3rd), Sarah Zadrazil (5th, 17th), Barbara Dunst (8th), Puntigam (26th, 31st) and Billa (45.+4) were, however, unlucky with their finishing and also failed to score against Slovenian goalkeeper Zala Mersnik. Her opposite number Manuela Zinsberger was called into action twice, once saving a weak shot from Mateja Zver from a prime position (4th). Another time she saved a shot from the St. Pölten attacker (13), who, like her club colleague Izabela Krizaj, was in the visitors' starting eleven.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

At the break, Fuhrmann brought on two new players in Julia Hickelsberger-Füller and Viktoria Pinther, and it was the France international who failed to beat Mersnik from an acute angle (48'). Seven minutes later, Puntigam also missed her third opportunity and was unable to beat Mersnik, who has been with All-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia since the end of July. From the penalty spot, her nerves did not fray. She converted safely after Purtscheller had been set up by Zver. Puntigam missed a brace (66'), but immediately afterwards had some luck with a counter-attack and a possible Schasching handball in the penalty area (67').

Otherwise, it was almost only the home side who were dangerous. While Pinther missed somewhat sloppily (67'), Puntigam scored again via a penalty in the same corner. This time Mersnik had collided with Hickelsberger-Füller. Hickelsberger-Füller should have added to his tally, but missed the empty goal from an acute angle (87'). However, Austria did not concede a goal for the second time in a row, having conceded at least one goal on 15 previous occasions, as Lara Prasnikar also scored from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time. Julia Magerl had committed a clear foul.

In contrast to the bitter 1:1 against Iceland, Ried was nevertheless a good surface this time. Slovenia were also defeated in the seventh direct duel, the goal difference is now 30:3.

Irene Fuhrmann (ÖFB team manager): "It wasn't a brilliant performance again, it's inexplicable how many unforced errors we're making at the moment. But I do think that we created far more scoring chances than in the first leg and, at the end of the day, progressed to the final play-off phase with confidence. We changed our pressing at the break and were then also clearer in our passing. It went well today, but we definitely need to improve for the next round."

Irene Fuhrmann

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Sarah Puntigam (ÖFB double goalscorer): "It was very emotional for me today. What counts is that we won and are in the next play-off round. It certainly wasn't our best game, we could and should have scored more goals. We'll certainly have to put in a better performance against Poland than we did today and on Friday. We have to analyze this and then give it our all. All that matters is the EURO."

Austria - Slovenia 2:1 (0:0)
Ried, Innviertel Arena, 2,600 spectators
Referee Lehtovaara (FIN)
First leg: 3:0 - Austria with an aggregate score of 5:1 in the 2nd (and final) round against Poland (first leg: 2:1/second leg 4:1 against Romania) for a EURO ticket. 

First leg on November 29 (away), second leg on December 3 (in Vienna/18.15 hrs/live ORF1

Goals:
1:0 (62.) Puntigam (penalty)
2:0 (74.) Puntigam (penalty)
2:1 (96.) Prasnikar (penalty)

Austria with: Zinsberger - Schasching (70. Magerl), Georgieva, Kirchberger, Hanshaw (83. Croatto) - Zadrazil (70. Feiersinger), Puntigam - Purtscheller, Höbinger, Dunst (46. Hickelsberger-Füller) - Billa (46. Pinther)

Yellow card Austria: Magerl