Estonia take on the visitors Austria in the round 9 match of group stage of UEFA Euro-2024 qualification. The match will be played on Thursday, November 16th at A. Le Coq Arena (Tallinn).
Estonia was initially considered an outsider in its Euro qualifying group and did not have any claims to advance. In the end, the national team confirmed its status, earning only one point in six rounds and predictably finding itself at the bottom of the group table. Nevertheless, I do believe in an Estonian goal in their home match against the Austrians. Why not, actually? Yes, this team failed to score for four consecutive qualifying rounds. However, it's essential to consider that two of those matches were against the Belgians. In the first two rounds of the qualifiers, Estonia netted against opponents consecutively, including an away victory against Austria (1-2).
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The Austrians had an excellent qualifying cycle, securing their spot in Euro in advance. Whether they finish first or second in the group is not crucial. Ralph Rangnick's wards prefer an attacking style, often opening up, allowing their opponents to play. As a result, Austria has only two clean sheets in seven rounds of Euro qualifying. I don't emphasize the goals conceded against Belgium in both matches. Besides Belgium, goals were scored against Austria by the Swedes, Azerbaijanis, and even the Estonians. The match against the Baltic team was particularly challenging for Austria, even though it was played at home. The opponent opened the scoring in the first half and led until the 68th minute. The favorite eventually scored the winning goal in the 88th minute.
What is one goal in football? It could be a successful quick counterattack, a well-executed set piece, a deflection, or a long-range shot. Of course, the guests of this match are much stronger. But why can't Estonia, on its home turf, at least once trouble an unmotivated opponent, especially when they scored against the Austrians on their territory when they were highly motivated? Now, for the favorite, this match is essentially a friendly one. Yes, formally, they may want to compete with Belgium for the top spot in the group until the last moment. But in reality, the coach and players are already thinking about Euro itself and how to smoothly finish the qualifying cycle without injuries. Therefore, I don't rule out that in Tallinn, we might witness at least one accurate shot from the hosts. In my opinion, it's worth taking the risk, especially given the attractive odds.
Prediction for the match: Estonia to score – yes.
