Austria punch ticket to Euro 2024 after narrow win over Azerbaijan
Organisers moved Monday’s showdown to the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in the hope of attracting more supporters, but the sea of empty seats was indicative of a side who have not won a home UEFA European Championship Qualifier (ECQ) since 2015.
Sure enough, it was Austria applying the early pressure, and Bayern Munich star Konrad Laimer would have got the ball rolling if goalkeeper Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev hadn't got the faintest touch on his deft chip.
Although the first period was closely contested, Das Team continued knocking on the door, with the towering figure of Sasa Kalajdzic proving a tough threat to contain.
The imposing striker produced a measured knockdown to give Xaver Schlager an opportunity from close range, but his half-volley flew inches over the crossbar. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s best moment of the half came when lively youngster Toral Bayramov breezed past two players and whipped in a cross from the right, only for Ramil Sheydayev to head clumsily off target.
Austria boss Ralf Rangnick turned to his bench during the interval, and Sabitzer’s decisive impact was felt within two minutes of his introduction. Involved in the sequence of events from start to finish, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s free-kick was handled in the box by Rahil Mammadov, and he stepped up himself to fire in the resulting penalty.
To the hosts’ credit, they weathered the storm of Austria pressure and set up a final gilt-edged opportunity for Bayramov, but the 22-year-old struck the outside of the post to leave his teammates stunned.
In a feisty finish, Guido Burgstaller was sent off for a second bookable offence, but that didn’t take the gloss off a triumphant evening for Austria, who eased the pressure on Rangnick ahead of next month’s meeting with Estonia.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s final two ECQ fixtures are now trivial, having failed to come up with the three-goal win required to preserve any hope of a first major tournament appearance.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Sasa Kalajdzic (Austria)
