In the final group game of the Nations League next Sunday, the ÖFB national team will fight Croatia against relegation from League A.
With a 0-2 away win in France (match report >>>), the ÖFB selection slipped to last place in Group A1.
Austria struggled throughout the game at the Stade de France. Kylian Mbappe gave the world champion a 1-0 lead in the second half by solo after a stoppage error by Sabitzer (56th). Olivier Giroud made it 2-0 a little later (65′).
LAOLA1 analyzes the performance of all ÖFB actors and gives grades (1=very good, 2=good, 3=satisfactory, 4=sufficient, 5=insufficient).
These are the grades for the ÖFB kickers:
PATRICK PENTZ (Stade Reims/4 internationals), 90 minutes, grade: 2
Let’s put it this way: The guest appearance in the adopted country in the application process for the number 1 role in the ÖFB goal did not harm the French legionnaire. Pentz knew how to impress with strong saves – of course, Tchouameni’s thwarted double chance in an overhead kick, when he then scratched Griezmann’s shot off the line, particularly stands out. In this scene he was simply world class. That he was lucky at one time or another or benefited from the inability of the French is also part of it. When Mbappe conceded the first goal, he didn’t necessarily look good, speculated wrongly. On the other hand, he was powerless when Giroud scored.
CHRISTOPHER TRIMMEL (Union Berlin/25/1), 90 minutes, grade: 4
Difficult and thankless game for the right-back. France kept coming over his side with speed, especially Mbappe made life really difficult for the Union captain. Before the break, however, the dangerous attacks of the French could still be defended in a group, with a strong goalie and a bit of luck. After the break, however, things rattled: Trimmel could have prevented the first goal conceded by Mbappe with a foul. Otherwise, the veteran toiled all in all as usual. Offensively, however, he remained pale.
PHILIPP LIENHART (SC Freiburg/10/0), 90 minutes, grade: 3
The Freiburg legionnaire made a real fall with his slapstick insert in the 30th minute, which ultimately went unpunished. Otherwise, the performance could be classified as brave for a long time, even if the lost header duel at 0:2 clouded the evening properly. But Lienhart did plug holes in front of it and saved a few times in dire need, defending as much as possible from his own sixteen together with his defensive colleague Alaba. In the final phase he prevented worse things from happening on one or the other counterattack.
DAVID ALABA (Real Madrid/95/14), up to the 69th minute, grade: 3
Similar to Lienhart: For the ÖFB central defenders it was time to close their eyes against the wild French attacking waves. The Real Madrid star kept putting his foot in the way, kept calm in the turmoil in the ÖFB sixteen, cleared flanks, blocked shots as best he could. However, when France picked up the pace, the ÖFB star was often only forced to watch. In the final phase, ÖFB team boss Rangnick took the battered Wiener off the field, his use against Croatia is questionable.
MAXIMILIAN WÖBER (Red Bull Salzburg/10/0), 90 minutes, grade: 4
His Salzburg colleague Andreas Ulmer, who was ill, would also have been an option on the left, but Wöber reported fit in time for a starting eleven. Having another trained centre-back in the back four might have come in handy given the defensive battle. Defensively, the left foot also did a decent job, as the most dangerous Frenchman Mbappe increasingly came across the other side. In the game forward, Wöber was able to contribute little, unlike in the previous games, and was unable to give the harmless ÖFB wing game any impetus.
NICOLAS SEIWALD (Red Bull Salzburg/8/0), 90 minutes, grade: 4
The 21-year-old was once again given the confidence of team boss Rangnick in central midfield. Did his job less conspicuously than his neighbor Schlager, but played his part in the fact that holes were always plugged. However, the Salzburg youngster was almost exclusively tied on the defensive, making a lot of meters to help out as much as possible at the back. But there was also a lack of peace and security. In the game forward, Seiwald didn’t do enough, usually held back a bit, while colleague Schlager eagerly sought the way forward.
XAVER SCHLAGER (RB Leipzig/30/2), 90 minutes, grade: 3
Was finally integrated into the first team in Leipzig in the past few weeks, but he is already set in the ÖFB team. Was aggressive from the start and extremely present in duels, ran and jumped after every ball. A technical error in the early stages initially went unpunished. The Leipzig legionnaire was able to show off with a few nice ball conquests, but the game in his own ball possession was sometimes too hectic. “Twin” Konrad Laimer would have done him (and the entire ÖFB team) good as a congenial partner in this encounter. It’s a shame about his chance shortly after the restart when he couldn’t tame a Sabitzer cross.
ANDREAS WEIMANN (Bristol City/20/1), up to the 50th minute, yellow, grade: 4
The veteran, steeled from the English championship, never lacks commitment, will, willingness to run and fight. His yellow foul in the 38th minute in the opposing penalty area bears witness to this. In the game forward, despite all his efforts, he didn’t get much out of it, and an intermittent dodge to the left didn’t change that. But with this hint he has no unique selling point in the ÖFB team. After all, in the first half he prepared Sabitzer for the only ÖFB chance. Shortly after the break, his knee hurt and he had to leave.
MARCEL SABITZER (FC Bayern/65/11), up to the 69th minute, grade: 4
In the first half, his shot over the goal in the 24th minute was ultimately the most dangerous ÖFB scene. For a long time, the Bayern kicker could be credited with trying again and again to organize the game and keep Austria in possession. Shortly after the break, he used Schlager with an ideal cross, but he couldn’t do anything about it. When the French made it 1-0, the Bayern player looked anything but good, his blackout with a stop error gave Mbappe possession of the ball, the rest is known. In general: Whether Sabitzer would not be better off in a more central role in this match can at least be discussed.
KARIM ONISIWO (Mainz 05/19/1), up to the 64th minute, grade: 5
Was perhaps surprisingly given preference over Gregoritsch in the starting XI, but couldn’t really advertise himself with his chance. Similar to the entire ÖFB attack, the Mainz legionnaire hung in the air for almost the entire duration of the game. Onisiwo made an effort and went a long way, but there was nothing countable in the game ahead. After about an hour it was over for him, Baumgartner replaced the attacker.
MARKO ARNAUTOVIC (FC Bologna/103/33), up to 64 minutes, grade: 5
With his 103rd international match, Marko Arnautovic drew level with Andreas Herzog and can now call himself a record international. Otherwise there was little to celebrate for the Bologna legionnaire in this game. It goes without saying how thankless such games are on the front line. Nothing really came out of the few scenes in or around the French penalty area. However, when Arnautovic got involved in the game, it usually didn’t do much more than a bad pass. After the break he frittered away a good finishing position. After 64 minutes it was over, Gregoritsch replaced him.
DEJAN LJUBICIC (1.FC Köln/4/0), from the 50th minute, grade: 4
Came into play after 49 minutes for the injured Weimann. Of course, the fact that the two goals were conceded shortly afterwards didn’t help him. The Cologne player replaced Weimann in position, worked the right half position, but was hardly able to set any accents in the game. After all, you could see the former Rapid captain calm on the ball, in the defensive movement he made an effort.
MICHAEL GREGORITSCH (SC Freiburg/38/6), from the 64th minute, grade: 4
After a good hour, the Freiburg legionnaire came on for Arnautovic. As the only real centre-forward, he put himself in the front, was always being looked for by his teammates, but was no longer able to make the difference in the somewhat sluggish offensive game of the Austrians.
CHRISTOPH BAUMGARTNER (TSG Hoffenheim/22/5), from the 64th minute, grade: 3
The Hoffenheim legionnaire seems to have lost his reputation as a regular player under team boss Rangnick. In Saint-Denis he was allowed to prove himself as a substitute for Onisiwo in the closing stages. The Waldviertel player tried a few times to speed up the game on his own, but found his teeth breaking due to the massive French defence.
STEFAN POSCH (FC Bologna/17/1), from the 69th minute, note: used too briefly
The neo-Bologna legionnaire replaced Alaba in central defense after 70 minutes. The game was already rippling towards the end, but his ball conquest against Mbappe was quite successful. Otherwise a relatively stable performance.
ROMANO SCHMID (Werder Bremen/1/0), from the 69th minute, note: used too briefly
Debut for the Werder Legionnaire, who came on for Sabitzer after around 70 minutes. The Styrian ran and ran to impose himself and also had one or the other scene, but it wasn’t really dangerous anymore even after his acceptance.
Source: Laola1
