Austria - Learining from their neighbours

Austria

Away from the big competitions since 2008, when they co-organized the Euro with Switzerland, Austria showcases in France a new and very strong generation, formed by players that reached the 4^th place in U-20 World Cup in 2007. M

 With most of their players playing in Germany, many coming through Bundesliga teams ranks, the Austrians showed an unknown quality of football in qualification and promise to do the same in France.

How they qualified

In a very balanced group, where Russia and Sweden were the clear candidates, was Austria that came in and swept the opposition away. After drawing the first game the Austrians won the rest nine matches, including a 1-4 thrashing over Sweden, and conceding only 5 goals in 10 games.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Robert Almer (Austria Vienna), Heinz Lindner (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ramazan Oezcan (Ingolstadt).

Defenders: Aleksandar Dragovic (Dynamo Kiev), Christian Fuchs (Leicester City), Gyorgy Garics (Darmstadt), Martin Hinteregger (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Florian Klein (Stuttgart), Sebastian Prodl (Watford), Markus Suttner (Ingolstadt), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke City), Julian Baumgartlinger (Mainz), Martin Harnik (Stuttgart), Stefan Ilsanker (RB Leipzig), Jakob Jantscher (Lucerne), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig), Alessandro Schoepf (Schalke).

Forwards: Lukas Hinterseer (Ingolstadt), Rubin Okotie (1860 Munich), Marc Janko (Basel).

David Alaba

Club : Bayern (GER)

Age : 23 years

Is the face of this brilliant Austrian generation. Since his 16 years old, he’s been in the ranks of Bayern Munich, he’s the most experienced player of the team and will be the leader in the pitch, despite his youth.

 He started on the Austria main squad with just 17 years, and since then he has been played in several positions, as that’s his biggest quality, his versatility and intelligence in the pitch. In the national team he plays in front of the defense, and is the maestro of the team.

 If Alaba shows up in form, Austria has a chance to shock Europe again.

Kevin Wimmer
Club : Tottenham (ENG)

Age : 23 years

Poached by Koln with 20 years old, the Austrian center back cemented his position from early on, contributing for a new record of least goals conceded in the 2.Bundesliga (20 goals in 2013/14). And in the year after, Koln matched Bayern’s record of more clean sheets in Bundesliga (13/38)

 The star of this solid defense was Kevin Wimmer, and his good showings gave him the possibility to transfer to England and to Tottenham where he’s been the 3^rd choice center half. ´

 Still young, it’s not certain that he will be in the Austria starting XI, but it’s certain that Wimmer has the potential to be a great for the future.

Marcel Koller

Very under the radar, Marcel Koller was an okay player and reasonable manager, that had his best spell at Bochum, team that he promoted and managed an 8th place finish in the Bundesliga.

 In charge of the Austria national team since 2011, has been doing a great job and will now have the biggest test of his career

What to expect from them?

 Koller has set up his team in a 4-2-3-1 with a great defensive consistency and speed to go on counter, as Austria is a team fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

 In qualification, 10 players started in 8 of the games, proving how tight and homogenous this group of players is.

 With their back four helped with two tractors like Alaba and Baumratlinger, this six close the way to Almer’s goal with their pressing and the height of the defensive line. Arnautovic and Harnik play wide with Junuzovic in the back of giant Marc Janko. Junozovic is a very quick and aware player, that plays very well out of the wins of Janko in the air.

 The wide players are the most creative, specially Arnautovic that grew up immensely at Stoke, finally realizing how to use his potential to help his team.

 Austria is extremely quick going on the counter, with just two/three touches they go from one end to the other, with Janko being a great holder of the ball waiting for the few colleagues that will help him in the attack. Adding that with their pressuring ability, Austria might be one of the good surprises of the competition.

 

FIL's Starting XI prediction