Wales Vs Austria
Wales Vs Austria Thursday 24 March, 2022 – 19:45 (GMT)
World Cup Qualification Play-Off
Pick: Wales Draw No Bet
Odds: 10/11
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 22 March 2022)
Preview: A first World Cup finals appearance since 1958 is all the motivation this Wales team needs ahead of Thursday’s semi-final play-off against Austria, who themselves are bidding to reach their first tournament proper since featuring at France ’98.
World Cup Qualifying Betting at Betfair
Table of Contents
Wales – Cardiff support can play leading role?
A play-off semi-final versus Austria, a nation they boast a three-game unbeaten record against (W2 D1) having also won the past two head-to-head encounters as hosts, was Wales’ reward for edging out Euro 2020 quarter-finalists Czech Republic for runner-up honours in Group E. Under two different coaches, Wales wrapped up the group stage with a record of W4 D3 L1 to finish five points shy of Belgium.
Rob Page remains in caretaker charge meanwhile, winning eight and losing only four of 19 internationals since filling in for Ryan Giggs. Even overseeing last summer’s run to the last sixteen at the European Championships. His team are currently protecting a seven-match unbeaten run which stretches back to those finals, while it has been more than three years since they tasted defeat in Wales (W11 D5).
Key Stat: Three of Wales’ past four home matches have ended in a draw, with a 5-1 win over Belarus in November 2021 one of only two home games in their last 13 in Wales to produce more than two goals.
Austria – Das Team fortunate to still be in contention?
A modest fourth place finish in World Cup Qualifying Group F meant Austria qualified for these play-offs through the Nations League backdoor. Franco Foda’s men struggled to compete as they finished with an underwhelming W5 D1 L4 record behind all of Denmark, Scotland and Israel. Four out of five wins, along with 11 of 19 goals, were against easily the two weakest side in their section, the Faroe Islands and Moldova.
Thursday’s trip to Cardiff is therefore set to be a stern test of their World Cup credentials, bidding to reach their first finals at this tournament since 1998. Das Team very nearly prevented Italy from becoming European champions in the summer, though, missing out on the quarter-finals after a 2-1 loss in extra-time in what remains their only drawn encounter in 90 minutes across their last eleven outings (W6 L4).
Key Stat: The Austrians arrive in Wales in decent form, with wins in all but one of their last four matches. These include 4-1 and 4-2 victories over Israel and Moldova in the most recent among them, scoring one more in these matches than in their eight previous contests combined.
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Wales Vs Austria Betting Advice
Rob Pages and Wales are boosted by the availability of talisman Gareth Bale. Although the Real Madrid forward doesn’t have a huge amount of minutes out on the pitch this season, his presence alone – on top of being one of a select few in this Welsh team capable of turning in a match winning display – is likely to rub off on team-mates. In front of a raucous Cardiff crowd, I think Wales are a fair price at 10/11 Draw No Bet.
Wales Vs Austria – Key Facts:
- This play-off semi-final pits teams who finished second (Wales; W4 D3 L1) and fourth (W5 D1 L4) in their groups during World Cup qualifying.
- Wales are unbeaten in three (W2 D1) versus Austria, winning the last two times as hosts – both by single-goal margins, prevailing 2-1 in a 2013 friendly and 1-0 in a 2017 World Cup qualifier.
- Just two of Wales’ 11 previous home matches have seen three or more goals, which is an identical record to that of Austria away from home. Suggesting goals will be scarce.
The reason for putting up Wales in the Draw No Bet market is because they are a team that plays on fine margins. Particularly here in Wales where 9 of their last 11 home games went Under 2.5 Goals. While the fact is they are unbeaten in front of their fans since November 2021 – 16 matches (W11 D5) – making them unlikely to lose against opponents whose only away wins since 2021 were against Faroe Islands and Moldova.
Best Betting Odds – Wales Vs Austria
Wales – 9/5 (Betfair)
Draw – 21/10 (BetVictor)
Austria – 17/10 (PaddyPower)
