Austria could be considered the favourites in Group H, but Romania are also one of the teams that will be heavily involved in the battle for the top 2 spots in the group. The former will be looking to start their WC qualifying campaign on the right track, while the latter will be aiming to get it back on track.
Austria Team News
Ralf Ragnick and his men were not involved in any of the March qualifying games, as they were involved in the UEFA Nations League play-offs. Although Austria failed to secure a promotion to League A after an aggregate 3-1 loss to Serbia, the team remains in good shape overall, with just one loss across its last six fixtures. While Ragnick’s team was known for taking part in high-scoring games, all of their previous 4 matches failed to produce over 2.5 goals. What could also be worrying for Austria is that the team hasn’t won any of its last 2 home matches. A win against Romania will end this run and boost Ragnick’s chances to guide his team to a second successive major tournament.
Romania Team News
Romania has already participated in 2 Group H games, with the team securing a 1-5 away win to San Marino, but losing 0-1 at home to Bosnia & Herzegovina, who are also touted as a major contender for the top 2 spots. That loss to Bosnia is Romania’s only defeat across their previous 8 matches. The rise in performance has coincided with Mircea Lucescu’s second stint at the helm, which started in August 2024. Since then, Lucescu’s team has been involved in high-scoring matches, with the loss to Bosnia being the only game across his team’s last 8 that failed to produce over 2.5 goals. It is also the only one in which Romania did not score a goal.
Head-to-Head-Games
Austria and Romania last met in the UNL back in 2020. The game in Klagenfurt ended 2-3 for the visiting Romanian team, while the subsequent match in Ploiesti ended in a 0-1 win for Austria.
Austria vs Romania Betting Prediction
I expect goals to be scored here. Both teams have often been involved in highly productive matches. And while Austria’s last 4 games have failed to pass the over 2.5 mark, they will want to start their qualifying campaign with a win to end their 2-game winless streak at home. Thus, my pick here is over 2.5 goals as I am counting on both teams’ tendency to score and concede regularly.
Betting Tip: Over 2.5 Goals
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.67
Stake
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