Austria v Republic of Ireland : Odds suggest difficult task ahead in Irish World Cup qualifier
The latest Austria v Republic of Ireland odds as Paddy Power make Giovanni Trappattoni’s side outsiders at 7/2, a price the firm report will shorten closer to kick off.
While Friday’s 2-1 loss to Sweden in Dublin has all but ended any hopes Ireland had of featuring at Rio 2014, it has given Austria a real feeling of last chance saloon when Giovanni Trapatonni’s side arrive in Vienna on Tuesday night.
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The Austrian’s lost 3-0 to group leaders Germany on Friday but their captain Christian Fuchs says that they are still in the same position as before.
“We have to look after our direct rivals, Ireland and Sweden, and we still have to play them both,” the FC Shalke defender said.
With a trip to Sweden ahead of them next month Fuchs and his teammates know that they must beat Trapattoni’s men to maintain any interest in the rest of the campaign and will be buoyed by the 2-2 draw they earned in Dublin last March after which Fuchs felt that his side were the better team and Ireland were lucky to take a point.
They will face a different Ireland side in personnel if not approach this time out though as Trapattoni has been opted to start Paul Green and Anthony Pilkington in place of James McClean and the injured Glenn Whelan, drawing criticism from some in the Irish media that the inclusion of Green instead of Wes Hoolahan was too negative approach in a game which must win to maintain any hope of qualification.
The Italian manager stood behind his decision as a pragmatic one though saying, “We cannot play three or four strikers and Wes plays behind the striker for his club. Austria showed in Dublin that they are not a team from the second league, they are a tough team and it will be a tough game.
“We need balance and Hoolahan plays like another striker. We could not play him and Robbie, Shane Long and Jon Walters.”
The inclusion of Pilkington in place of McClean which follows up the Norwich player’s international debut after coming off the bench against Sweden was backed up with high praise from Trapattoni: “I like him and he is a very athletic player.
“He can play on both wings whereas right wing would not be James McClean’s optimum position. Pilkington can be a beautiful surprise.”
With Sweden, who are three points ahead of both Ireland and Austrai, away to Kazakhstan wrapping up before kick off in Vienna both teams will know what sort of chance remains of them reaching the end of the group in the play-off place.
IRELAND: Forde; Coleman, Dunne, O’Shea, Wilson; Walters, McCarthy, Green, Pilkington; Keane, Long.
The game kicks off at 19:45 GMT
