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LIVE from 4pm: Will Austria win in Kazakhstan?

(Bild: GEPA)

Fifth matchday in the Nations League: Austria face Kazakhstan away from home in Group 3 of League B. We report live (see below). Current score: 2:0 for Austria.

Here is the LIVETICKER:

Incendiary speech by Rangnick
An arduous away match awaits Austria's national soccer team on their way to winning their Nations League group. The ÖFB team spent around seven hours on the plane to Almaty on Wednesday, where they will play for important points against Kazakhstan (16:00) the following day. Ralf Rangnick detected "good energy" in the squad. However, an unwelcome distraction for the soccer association was the smouldering internal conflict, which now appears to have fully engulfed the team.

The fact that Rangnick, in a public statement on behalf of the team shortly before departure on Wednesday, once again took up the cudgels for trusted advisor Bernhard Neuhold and criticized the association's top management was a real eye-opener. Even before that, the "Salzburger Nachrichten" (Tuesday edition) had reported that there were threats of a boycott. It is about marketing and sponsorship appointments. A corresponding contract between the team players and the ÖFB expires at the end of the year. In the course of new negotiations, the players could demand more for their activities off the pitch or even want to do without them.

The quarrels in the background do not fit in with the sporting image of the Austrian team. The team is currently right on track. If Marko Arnautovic and Co. win against the underdogs and also achieve a full success against Slovenia three days later in Vienna, they will be in first place and thus have a chance of returning to League A.

A grueling away game
The long journey to the city of two million people should not be an excuse. The team took off from Vienna on a charter plane at 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday and were scheduled to arrive in Almaty ten minutes before midnight local time. The clocks will not be changed and the Austrians will continue to live in the Central European time zone. "It will be about staying on our own time so as not to let our bodies get out of control," said attacking player Christoph Baumgartner.

There will therefore be no sleeping on the outward flight. Kick-off is at 20:00 local time on Thursday in sub-zero temperatures. The setting should be right, the Ortalyk Stadium, which holds around 23,000 spectators, should be sold out. The team will return to Vienna immediately after the final whistle - according to Baumgartner, sleeping is a must "so as not to arrive in Vienna and be dog-tired". The landing is scheduled for 4.25 a.m. on Friday morning. Tips were also obtained from a sleep expert, the Leipzig legionnaire revealed.

Beware of Kazakhstan at home
Kazakhstan's team is used to the procedure. The Central Asians have yet to win away from home in the current Nations League, but have held their own at home. Against Norway (0:0) and Slovenia (0:1), coach Stanislav Cherchessov's team only conceded one goal. Kazakhstan also failed to score in their two most recent home games against Austria. In the World Cup qualifiers in 2011 and 2012, two 0-0 draws were recorded in Astana.

Stanislav Cherchessov

(Bild: GEPA)

Austria will now be looking to break down the underdogs with their usual qualities. Aggressive pressing and winning the ball are on the agenda. "We want to play to our strengths, regardless of the opponent," said Baumgartner. Rangnick agreed with that. "If we show our true colors, I'm confident that we'll win both games," said the German. He announced that he wanted to start with his best line-up. Alexander Schlager will start in goal, Patrick Pentz will then take over against Slovenia. The rested Gernot Trauner and Florian Grillitsch, who is suffering from inflammation in his adductor area, will not be present in Almaty.

"The players have made a very focused impression. That's why I'm confident that we'll bring this energy onto the pitch tomorrow. That will be the key," emphasized Rangnick, whose approach has been fitting of late. In October, the Red-White-Red scored no fewer than nine times in the home games against Kazakhstan (4-0) and Norway (5-1). Rangnick recorded five goals from direct transition situations. The Austrians scored three times from set-pieces. Another point that Rangnick emphasized positively. "That was also about time."