Belgium vs Austria

The stakes are high as Belgium and Austria face each other at the King Baudouin Stadium in a top-table 2024 European Championship qualifying Group F six-pointer.

New Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco could not have hoped for a better start to his managerial tenure, with his side hammering Sweden 3-0 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier before overcoming fierce continental rivals Germany 3-2 in a friendly in March. Bidding to qualify for a third consecutive European Championship following an underwhelming group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup, ‘De Rode Duivels’ come into proceedings having won a nation-record eight straight home matches in European qualifiers. On top of that, they’ve never lost a competitive meeting with Austria, though it’s worth noting a 2-0 win in their most recent duel in 2011 ended a run of three successive H2H draws. Interestingly, the Belgians have won three of their last four home outings in competitive action (L1), conceding precisely one goal in each triumph.

In the meantime, Austria’s pursuit of a third Euro qualification in a row for the first time in the nation’s history has been off to a dream start, with Ralf Rangnick’s team beating Azerbaijan and Estonia by an aggregate score of 6-2 in their opening two Group F fixtures. They scored precisely two second-half goals in both victories, highlighting the potential for plenty of post-halftime action. Despite being considered outsiders, Austria’s remarkable record speaks for itself, as they have managed to avoid defeat in ten of their last 12 European Championship qualification away matches (W8, D2, L2). However, it is worth noting that the Austrians have not been able to claim a victory against a top-five ranked nation, such as Belgium (#4), in an away game in the 21st century.