Austria v Romania

• Romania have avoided defeat in 23 of their most recent 27 matches, but they did lose to Bosnia in their opening qualifying match

• Austria are yet to open their account in the competition, having instead played out a two-legged Nations League clash with Serbia, losing 3-1 on aggregate

• Austria are now three games without a win, having been held to home draws by Slovenia and Serbia, before the latter claimed a 2-0 victory at home

As Romania head to Austria for what will be their third outing of the qualifying campaign, the hosts are set to open their tournament account, having locked horns with Serbia in a two-legged battle for a spot in League A of the Nations League, a battle they ultimately came up short in.

Romania have picked up three points from their opening two games, losing at home to Bosnia in what could be a pivotal result in the race for a top two position, before dispatching San Marino 5-1.

It’s very early days, and the trajectory of the group remains to be seen, Austria are the bookies' favourites to top the group, but it’s anyone's game, with three of the five teams priced shorter than 5/1 (Austria, Bosnia & Romania).

⭐ Austria v Romania Predictions and Best Bets

While it’s no surprise to see Austria enter this clash as favourites, it’s tough to justify odds as short as 1.33 and backing Romania to win or draw at 3.10 offers significantly more value. Romania have won seven of their last eight games, and although they haven’t faced any of Europe’s elite, their confidence will be sky high. Austria has offered little consistency and are often prone to slip-ups. Across their last three alone, they’ve failed to beat Slovenia and Serbia (twice).

Over 2.5 goals has also been priced generously at 1.85. Eight of Romania’s last nine have brought this selection home, as have six of Austria’s previous 11, although this may have been higher had it not been for a few disruptive red cards, which skewed the dynamics of those games.

🔴 Austria’s Momentum Stalls as Missed Opportunities Begin to Pile Up

Austria will have been disappointed to go out of the Euros as early as the round of 16, having exhibited some serious promise during the group stage, topping Group D, which consisted of France, the Netherlands, and Poland.

Alas, they fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Turkey straight after, despite having dominated the xG, leading 3.14-0.92, and conceding no more than two shots. Turkey went on to lose in the next round to the Netherlands, who Austria had already beaten in the group stage.

Since then, Austria can take pride in the 11 points they picked up in the Nations League, finishing just below Norway, although they failed to make it count, losing 3-1 on aggregate in the playoffs.

The loss renders them three games without a win, and in desperate need of a confidence-booster following a series of setbacks.

🔵 Romania in Fine Form, Though Sterner Tests Await 

Romania have quietly settled into a nice rhythm in recent years, putting together a string of impressive results that have largely flown under the radar, overshadowed by their failure to make a real impact in major tournaments.

Having topped their group during the Euros, narrowly pipping Belgium to the number one position on goals scored, Romania were unable to hold their own against the Netherlands, who comfortably dispatched them 3-0.

Interestingly, Romania had also won their Euros qualifying group, picking up 22 points, five more than Switzerland, who finished in 2nd. This all comes together to form a remarkable record, with only four teams managing to defeat Romania over their last 27 games.

Unfortunately, one of those defeats came in their opening World Cup Qualifying clash with Bosnia. On that occasion, they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home, although the underlying numbers suggest this might misrepresent the flow of the game.

Romania created 1.8xG, conceding 0.95, with Bosnia firing off just five shots during the 90 minutes. That said, even if Romania were the better of the pair, they’ll have to be at their most clinical if they hope to take points home from Austria.

📊 Austria v Romania Head-to-Head Key Stats

Austria and Romania have met in just two competitive matches on record, with both unfolding in 2020 as they competed in the Nations League.

There was little to separate them on both occasions. Romania snatched a memorable 3-2 victory away from home in an entertaining, end-to-end clash the first time round, before Austria responded with a cagey 1-0 win in the reverse fixture - a far more subdued affair by comparison.

Football Predictions at Andy's Bet Club

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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.