A short trip across the border awaits Germany on Tuesday evening, as Julian Nagelsmann's team take on Austria in their final international friendly of 2023.
Die Mannschaft were humbled 3-2 by Turkey in the weekend's exhibition fixture, while Austria cemented their place at the top of their Euro 2024 qualifying group by defeating Estonia 2-0.
Match preview
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Not only will Austria be present at the European Championships for the third time on the bounce in 2024 - where they will endeavour to better their run to the last 16 at Euro 2020 - Ralf Rangnick's in-form charges are on course to be one of five entrants in Pot 1 alongside hosts Germany.
This week's hosts concluded their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a straightforward 2-0 beating of Austria on Thursday evening thanks to first-half strikes from Konrad Laimer and Philipp Lienhart, which saw the Boys do all they can to pip Belgium to first place in Group F.
With 19 points to show from their eight qualification contests, Austria will go through to the Finals in first place should Belgium - who are two points worse off - fail to defeat Azerbaijan at home on Sunday, and while such a scenario is unlikely, a runners-up finish is still nothing to be scoffed at.
Since being given a rude awakening in the top tier of the Nations League last year, Austria have only been beaten in one of their last 11 fixtures competitive or not, with that sole defeat coming at the hands of Belgium in a Euro 2024 qualifier, and even then Rangnick's team came from 3-0 down to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
It has been nearly 12 months to the day that Austria overcame Italy 2-0 in a home friendly, but their only exhibition fixture on familiar territory this season was a forgettable affair, as Das Team were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Moldova two months ago, although that result was nowhere near as disappointing as Germany's most recent battle.
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Leading his nation out for a home fixture for the very first time, ex-Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig manager Nagelsmann - who is sure to exchange a warm embrace with former Roten Bullen colleague Rangnick on the touchline - sought to build on a solid start to life in the Germany hotseat against Turkey.
The 36-year-old had overseen a 3-1 beating of the USA in his maiden match in charge before a 2-2 draw with Mexico in Philadelphia last month, and all was well and good for Germany against Turkey when Kai Havertz - deployed in a peculiar left-back role - opened the scoring with five minutes gone.
However, Ferdi Kadioglu and Kenan Yildiz turned the game around in front of a large contingent of Turkey supporters before the break, and while Niclas Fullkrug got Germany back on level terms, his efforts were rendered futile by Yusuf Sari's 70th-minute spot kick, which Havertz conceded with a contentious handball.
Turkey's stellar triumph marked a fifth loss from 10 friendly matches for Germany during their troubled 2023, which began with a routine 2-0 victory over Peru, but the three-time European champions have now gone nine games without a clean sheet and must address such concerns as a matter of priority lest they risk another early tournament exit on home turf next year.
Speaking of nine-game sequences, Germany strolled to that number of consecutive wins against Austria in a 19-year spell from 1994 to 2013, but Das Team emerged victorious 2-1 in the most recent meeting during a 2018 friendly, where Martin Hinteregger and Alessandro Schopf cancelled out a Mesut Ozil opener.
Team News
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Tuesday's game would have seen the return of Austria striker Guido Burgstaller from suspension; the 34-year-old was ineligible to face Estonia due to an accumulation of yellow cards, but he was not called up to his national team this month anyway.
Rangnick did not lose any players to injury during the clash with Estonia, where Laimer's half-time substitution was seemingly a tactical decision, but Red Bull Salzburg defender Samson Baidoo had to withdraw from the squad prior to that win due to an adductor issue.
Barring any unforeseen glitches, Rangnick ought to put out a similar starting lineup to the one that took care of business in Tallinn, although all-time top appearance maker Marko Arnautovic was only a substitute in that victory alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers marksman Sasa Kalajdzic.
Similarly, Germany boss Nagelsmann has not seen any new concerns arise from the loss to Turkey, although Felix Nmecha, Malick Thiaw, Robin Gosens and Marc-Andre ter Stegen all withdrew from the squad following their call-ups.
While Havertz's evening as a left-back started out brilliantly, Nagelsmann should now consider bringing in a more recognisable option in David Raum, while Niklas Sule and Mats Hummels ought to come into contention for defensive starts after Saturday's capitulation.
With 10 goals in just 12 international appearances, only Serge Gnabry (11 matches) has reached double figures for the national team in quicker time over the past 45 years than Fullkrug, who may be joined by the Bayern Munich winger in a mildly rejigged attacking third.
Austria possible starting lineup:
Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Wober; Sabitzer, Seiwald, Baumgartner; Laimer, Arnautovic, Kainz
Germany possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Henrichs, Tah, Rudiger, Raum; Gundogan, Kimmich; Sane, Wirtz, Gnabry; Fullkrug
We say: Austria 1-1 Germany
Still acclimatising to Nagelsmann's methods, Germany's hopes of bouncing straight back from their lowly loss to Turkey will not exactly be high at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, especially with Austria having two more days of rest to work with.
Rangnick's troops have already laid down plenty of markers en route to Euro 2024, and we have faith in Das Team to hold the tournament hosts to a score draw, bringing Die Mannschaft's painful year to an unspectacular end.
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Ben Knapton
