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Austria and Scotland are set to continue their chase for a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup when they square off at the Ernst Happel Stadion on Tuesday.
The hosts head into the game on the back of a 5-2 humbling at the hands of Israel, while the visitors claimed a 1-0 win over Moldova. Eran Zahavi was in fine goalscoring form for Israel as he scored in either half to inspire them to an emphatic win.
Prior to that, Austria claimed a 2-0 win over Moldova, where Christoph Baumgartner and Marko Arnautović got on the scoresheet. With seven points from five games, Franco Foda's men are currently fourth in Group F, one point behind Tuesday’s visitors.
Scotland, meanwhile, ended their winless streak last Saturday when they claimed a hard-earned 1-0 win over Moldova. Queens Park Rangers forward Lyndon Dykes scored an early goal to hand Scotland all three points.
Prior to that, Tuesday’s visitors were on a four-game winless run, losing three and picking up one draw. Head coach Steve Clarke will hope his side can build on that performance and keep the momentum going to move into the playoff spot.
Austria vs Scotland Head-To-Head
Austria have a slight upper hand in the history of this fixture, claiming eight wins from 21 encounters in all competitions. Scotland have won two fewer games, while the spoils have been shared on seven different occasions.
Austria Form Guide (all competitions): L-W-L-W-L
Scotland Form Guide (all competitions): L-D-L-L-W
Austria vs Scotland Team News
Austria
Barring any late fitness issues, Austria head into the game with a clean bill of health and no suspension concerns.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Scotland
The visitors will be without the services of James Forrest and Greg Taylor, who have been withdrawn from the squad due to injuries. John McGinn will also miss the game after testing positive for COVID-19.
Injured: James Forrest, Greg Taylor
Suspended: None
Austria vs Scotland Predicted XI
Austria Predicted XI (4-4-2): Daniel Bachmann; Christopher Trimmel, Philipp Lienart, Martin Hintenregger, Andreas Ulmer; Christoph Baumgartner, Konrad Laimer, Florian Grilitsch, David Alaba; Martin Gregoritsch, Marko Arnautovic
Scotland Predicted XI (3-5-2): Craig Gordon; Scott McKenna, Grant Hanley, Kieran Tierney; Ryan Fraser, Callum McGregor, Billy Gilmour, David Turnbull, Andy Robertson; Lydon Dykes, Che Adams.
Austria vs Scotland Prediction
Looking at past encounters between the two sides, we expect a cagey contest at the Ernst Happel Stadion. On paper, both sides are evenly matched, so the two sides could end up sharing the spoils on the night.
Prediction: Austria 1-1 Scotland
