Austria was the surprise package of the qualifying campaign. They finished with 28 points – second only to England – and were one of three teams to go undefeated. Despite the lack of truly world class stars apart from Bayern Munich defender/midfielder David Alaba, their defense under manager Marcel Koller was rock solid, surrendering just five goals in 10 games.
Koller has established a consistent starting XI, which has forged the type of unity and understanding not usually found in international sides. It’s this strong bond that has made the Austrians +225 contenders to win Group F and sneaky +4,000 sleepers to claim the European Championship.
Team Weaknesses:
Striker Marc Janko has a very good international goalscoring record with one goal every other game. He had seven goals in nine qualifying games and scored 16 in 20 games for Swiss champions Basel this past season. However, it remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old – a +4,000 long shot to be the tournament’s top scorer – can get it done under the bright lights of the Euros.
The Austrians got a favorable draw in Group F, though, and it would be a bit surprising to see them crash out immediately. They’re priced at -400 to make to past the group stage.
Team Stats (During Euro Qualifiers):
Category
Stat
Goals Scored Per Game
2.2
Goals Conceded Per Game
0.5
Goal Attempts Per Game
18.2
Pass Completion Percentage
87%
Ball Possession Percentage
56%
Starting Lineup:
Position
Name (Age)
Career Caps
Goals
Goalie
Robert Almer (32)
27
0
Defender
Florian Klein (29)
35
0
Defender
Sebastian Prodl (28)
56
4
Defender
Aleksandar Dragovic (25)
45
1
Defender
Christian Fuchs (30)
74
1
Midfielder
Daniel Alaba (23)
44
11
Midfielder
Julian Baumgartlinger (28)
43
1
Midfielder
Martin Harnik (28)
56
14
Midfielder
Zlatko Junuzovic (28)
46
7
Midfielder
Marko Arnautovic (27)
50
10
Forward
Marc Janko (32)
52
26
Writer’s Prediction
Austria win Group F and make their way to the quarterfinals.
