How Austria will win the match against Haaland

Who is stronger: Austria’s national football team or Erling Haaland? In today’s second UEFA Nations League match, the ÖFB selection will of course face Norway (Oslo, 8:45 p.m., ORF eins live), an opponent that also has ten other players on the pitch. And yet everything revolves around the superstar who, according to Austria’s team manager Ralf Rangnick, is the best striker in the world.

“A few months ago I would have put him on the same level as Kylian Mbappe, but currently Erling is number one, as Mbappe is not in top form at the moment either,” says Rangnick, for whom there is only one way to stop the goalscorer: “We have seen in a few games that if a team finds ways to prevent Erling Haaland from getting the ball in the first place, then they can cause him problems. That is why, when we play against the ball, it is important for us to prevent those passes that can bring him into play.” And ÖFB leader Marcel Sabitzer adds: “It will be a matter of intensity in this game.” Sabitzer does not have particularly fond memories of Haaland. “Except that I see him very often in the weekend highlight videos,” he adds with a grin.

Team boss Rangnick has more to say. “If you extrapolate his seven goals in three games so far to the entire Premier League season with 38 games, then that says it all.” And he also remembers Haaland’s beginnings in Austria. “When he came to Salzburg from Molde, he wasn’t even a regular player. From today’s perspective, it’s actually unbelievable that he only played twice in the first six months in Salzburg. In the following season, he was already scoring goals without end and continued this series in Dortmund and now at Manchester City.

Some question marks in the team

It is still unclear which defenders will stand in the way of the Norwegian top star. Maximilian Wöber has slight knee problems and his participation is just as doubtful as that of Phillipp Mwene. Philipp Lienhart, who missed the Slovenia match for personal reasons but has now joined the team, should be available.

The 1:1 draw against Slovenia on Friday is not a big issue before the duel against the Norwegians. Rangnick: “There’s no point in going into it too much now. A completely different game awaits us. The Norwegians want to shape the game themselves, they bring a high quality of individual players, and that doesn’t just apply to Erling Haaland.” In contrast to the Slovenia match, this time we’re playing on a pitch that allows for a decent game.

Most intensive phase of the career

Marcel Sabitzer is not the only one who is facing the most intensive season of his career – also with a view to the bloated FIFA Club World Cup in June 2025. And he is not sparing with criticism: “With the European Championship, the short holidays, short preparation and an ever longer season, this is an issue. The squads have to get bigger, otherwise it becomes negligent. You can’t be intensive 60 times a season.” In the Premier League, it is even worse due to the lack of a winter break.