Austria take on the visitors Kazakhstan in the round 3 match of UEFA Nations League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, October 10th at Raiffeisen Arena (Linz).
Austria has clearly lost its form. "Das Team," despite consistently missing out on World Cups in this century, has become a regular participant in the European Championships. This summer in Germany, just like in the previous tournament, they managed to reach the knockout stages, even without their still-injured captain, David Alaba. They started with a frustrating loss to France due to an own goal but bounced back with wins over Poland and the Netherlands, securing a place in the Round of 16, where they lost to Turkey. That defeat seems to have had a lasting impact, and despite all his experience, Ralf Rangnick hasn't been able to fully recover the team’s momentum. Austria, previously seen as the clear favorite in this group (having competed in the top Division A last cycle and supposedly aiming to return there), only managed a draw in Slovenia and lost to Norway. Another slip-up could be disastrous.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Kazakhstan haven’t made much of an impression since moving under UEFA’s umbrella. However, under their previous coach, Adiev, they had a bright moment, winning their Nations League group (albeit in Division C) and having a realistic shot at finishing second in Euro qualifying. Ultimately, it didn’t work out, with a 0-5 loss to Greece in the playoffs being the "death of the dream." After that, Adiev increasingly focused on club management, and by the end of spring, he stepped down, handing the reins to Stanislav Cherchesov. Rumor has it that Cherchesov was given a generous salary, but even in summer friendlies, Kazakhstan suffered losses, and in the Nations League, they've only managed to pick up one point so far. That said, before losing in Ljubljana, they held Norway and Haaland to a goalless draw at home.
In both Euro 2012 qualifying and the next World Cup qualifiers, the pattern was the same. Kazakhstan managed home draws but lost away. There’s little reason to back the visitors, while Austria desperately needs a win, and not a narrow one. The bet is on Rangnick's side to win with a -2.0 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Austria to win with -2.0 handicap.
