Portugal and Austria will look to expel the memory of their opening matches when they meet at the Parc de Princes.
Group F looked a straightforward proposition. Portugal and Austria topped their qualifying groups in in relatively easy fashion and were considered outside chances at taking home the trophy, but Hungary and Iceland had other ideas.
First, the Hungarians secured an impressive 2-0 win over Austria in Bordeaux, with goals from Adam Szalai and Zoltan Stieber showing a clinical edge that their opponents could not match. It was a similar situation in Saint-Etienne, as Portugal failed to build on a dominant first half to draw 1-1 with Iceland.
This pair of unexpected results has turned the group on its head and in reality both sides need to win if they are serious about making a long journey through the knockout stages.
Key Battle – Andre Gomes vs David Alaba
Andre Gomes was the heartbeat of the Portuguese midfield in the first half against Iceland, despite being forced out to the flanks by coach Fernando Santos. This did not prevent Gomes from producing a sublime assist for Nani, flicking the ball over a defender to the overlapping Vieirinha before receiving the return pass from the fullback and sending a perfect cross to the near post. Gomes was a standout for a struggling Valencia side this season in La Liga, and should continue to build his burgeoning reputation with a strong performance against Austria.
Although typically a left back with Bayern Munich, David Alaba’s incredible versatility has seen him become a mainstay in central midfield for Austria. The 23-year-old was one of the few goal threats for his country against Hungary, testing the goalkeeper with some powerful efforts from distance. However, it will be his defensive instincts that will be put to the test against the Portuguese, with Alaba given the unenviable task of shackling the dangerous Andres Gomes and Monaco’s Joao Moutinho.
Team News
After failing to score more than once against Iceland, Fernando Santos will undoubtedly add some attacking firepower to the left flank in the form of Ricardo Quaresma. After starting up front against Iceland, Nani would move out to the right wing, leaving Ronaldo as the lone striker. Andre Gomes and Joao Moutinho would start in central midfield ahead of Danilo in the holding position. After losing his man for Iceland’s equaliser, Vieirinha could lose his place in favour of Southampton’s Cedric.
Austrian central defender Aleksander Dragovic was sent off in the loss to Hungary thanks to two yellow cards, giving Watford’s Sebastian Prodl a chance to take the field in Paris. Lead striker Marc Janko was pulled early in the previous match against Hungary and could be relegated to the bench in favour of the more mobile Rubin Okotie. An injury to playmaker Zlatko Junuzovic should see Marcel Sabitzer slot into the midfield with David Alaba and Julian Baumgartlinger.
Head-to-head
There have only been eight meetings between these two nations, splitting the record with two wins apiece and four draws. This match marks the first clash between these two sides at a major tournament.
Previous Meeting
These nations last met during the qualification for Euro 1996, with Austria taking the lead after just ten minutes through Peter Schottel. Paulinho Santos equalised just four minutes into the second half to split the points. Portugal would qualify for the 96’ tournament in England, while Austria finished in fourth place in their qualifying group behind the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Prediction
The first half Portugal produced against Iceland was some of the best football played so far in the group stages. If Fernando Santos can tweak his system to get the best out of Ronaldo while maintaining the same level of fluency, Portugal should come away with the points and potentially eliminate Austria in the process.
Portugal 2 Austria 1
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