Nations League TICKER

LIVE from 6pm: Austria’s final against Slovenia

How will Marko Arnautovic and Co. fare against Slovenia today?

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Sixth and final matchday in the Nations League: Austria face Slovenia at home in Group 3 of League B. We will be reporting live (see below).

Here is the LIVETICKER:

Austria's national team faces a real final in the Nations League on Sunday (6pm). A home win against Slovenia in the packed Ernst Happel Stadium would secure the Austrians top spot in the group and a return to the top flight. However, a defeat against Benjamin Sesko and Co. would also see them drop to third place in the group and thus face relegation from League B.

A draw would at least secure the ÖFB team second place and promotion relegation in March. The Austrians go into the decider with the confidence of five home wins in a row. In the past twelve months, team boss Ralf Rangnick's side have won all of their international matches at home. "If we show our best face and play as we have done in many games, I am convinced that we will win," emphasized the German.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Rangnick has his entire 24-man squad at his disposal. Marcel Sabitzer, who missed Thursday's 2-0 win in Kazakhstan due to stomach problems, took part in the final training session on Saturday afternoon, as did Gernot Trauner and Florian Grillitsch, who had not even made the long journey east.

(Bild: AFP/APA/DAMIEN MEYER)

Top scorer in the Nations League
Slovenia's star striker Sesko is the Nations League's top scorer with five goals in five games. However, the Austrians had already neutralized Norway's Erling Haaland in a 5:1 win in Linz in October. Rangnick therefore wants to make few changes to his approach. How do you want to play against Sesko, the former Salzburg player who has been playing for RB Leipzig since 2023? "Just like against Norway." Trauner, who was strong against Haaland, is therefore likely to start in central defense alongside Philipp Lienhart in place of Kevin Danso.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

In the center of attack, record team player Marko Arnautovic could get a chance to start, as he did against the Norwegians, after sitting on the bench for 90 minutes in Kazakhstan. "I'm looking forward to a really good game from us," explained Rangnick. "In the end, as is so often the case with us, it's a question of energy. If we perform like we have in the last few good games, I'm convinced that we'll succeed in taking the game to our side."

After a botched Nations League start in Slovenia (1:1) and Norway (1:2), the ÖFB team has recently notched up three clear victories. No team has scored more than Austria's 13 goals in the Nations League this fall until Saturday afternoon. Another success would be historic: nine international wins in one year is unprecedented in ÖFB history. However, the 14 games in 2024 are also the second most that the senior team has ever played in one year after the 16 in 2021.

"I'd love to get all nine"
"I'd be happy to play all nine," said Rangnick. But the number is not particularly important to him. "We need the win to advance to the A group. We also want the win to go into the new year with a really good feeling, as we did last year against Germany (2-0 in a test in Vienna/note) - that's the top priority." Austria have been unbeaten against Slovenia since 1997. Before the 1-1 draw in Ljubljana in September, they had won three consecutive matches against their southern neighbors. The sixth clash will be the first in Vienna.