Austria vs Belgium

Ernst Happel Stadion forms the backdrop for a top-table UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group F six-pointer between Austria and Belgium.

Mere bragging rights are at stake for Austria as they hardly care about finishing atop Group F as long as they secure a third successive European Championship qualification for the first time in the nation’s history, which at this point seems like a near certainty. Undefeated after the opening five matchdays (W4, D1), Ralf Rangnick’s men have created a significant seven-point buffer on third-placed Sweden, meaning they only need one win in the last three rounds to mathematically seal a berth in next summer’s tournament. With matches against below-par Azerbaijan and Estonia waiting in the wings, ‘Das Team’ don’t necessarily need to arrest a five-game winless run against Belgium in competitive action (D4, L1) to get the job done. But since their last H2H win dates back to 1959, the Austrians won’t reconcile with anything less than three points.

On the other hand, Belgium will take this trip looking to pay tribute to their former icon Eden Hazard, who shockingly announced his retirement from football earlier this week. Domenico Tedesco’s side shared the spoils with Austria in a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Brussels, which remains the only goal they’ve conceded in the ongoing qualifying campaign to date. However, Romelu Lukaku & Co have been relentless in front of goal, netting 13 times already, meaning they’ve now failed to score in just three of their last 60 internationals. Another free-scoring attempt would probably get Belgium’s qualification for a third consecutive European Championship over the line, as they start this round level on points with Austria (W4, D1). Since exiting the 2022 World Cup, the visitors have fared well on foreign soil, winning all four away games in 2023 via a combined score of 10-2.