The Matchday 3 World Cup 2026 qualifier between Austria and Romania will take place on June 7 at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. Austria vs. Romania: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Austria
Ralf Rangnick's team will play their first match in this qualifier. In the previous World Cup qualification, Austria did not perform well, finishing only fourth in their group. However, thanks to their success in the Nations League, the team earned a playoff spot, but they were defeated by Wales (1-2) in the first round. Notably, the team did not have a reliable defense in the previous World Cup qualifiers: they conceded 16 goals in 11 matches and kept only two clean sheets.
- The team has not lost in regular time in 6 of their last 8 home matches in World Cup qualifiers (5 wins, 1 draw).
- At least four goals were scored in 5 of the team's last 6 matches in this tournament.
- Both teams scored in regular time in 5 of Austria's last 7 home matches in World Cup qualifiers.
Predicted lineup for Austria (4-5-1)
Patrick Pentz – Philipp Mwene, Philipp Lienhart, Stefan Posch, Konrad Laimer – Patrick Wimmer, Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager, Christoph Baumgartner, Michael Gregoritsch – Marko Arnautovic.
Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, and defender David Alaba were not called up for the upcoming matches due to injuries. Defender Gernot Trauner is suspended.
Romania
Mircea Lucescu's side earned three points in the first two rounds, first losing at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina (0-1) and then thrashing San Marino away (5-1). As a result, Romania is in second place in the group standings, three points behind Bosnia and ahead of Cyprus on goal difference. Notably, the team has lost only twice in their last nine World Cup qualifiers (5 wins, 2 draws), conceding just four goals during this period.
- Romania has not won in regular time in 7 of their last 10 away World Cup qualifiers (3 draws, 4 losses).
- The team scored in 6 of their last 7 away matches in this tournament.
- Romania has not conceded more than one goal in regular time in 6 of their last 8 away World Cup qualifiers.
Predicted lineup for Romania (4-3-3)
Florin Nita – Andrei Ratiu, Vlad Chiriches, Andrei Burca, Nicusor Bancu – Marius Marin, Razvan Marin, Nicolae Stanciu – Dennis Man, Denis Dragus, Valentin Mihaila.
Midfielder Ianis Hagi will miss the upcoming matches due to injury.
Referee
Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Matches – 13 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 47;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.6;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 38%.
Match Prediction: Austria vs. Romania
Ralf Rangnick's side is eager to start this qualifier successfully after their setback in the Nations League, where Austria was relegated from the elite division. The home advantage should help the team achieve maximum results, as they have won four of their last six home matches in World Cup qualifiers. Moreover, Austria has been prolific during this stretch, scoring 14 goals against their opponents.
The Romanians did not start this qualifying cycle well: a home defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina significantly reduced their chances of finishing in one of the top two spots in the group. Improving their position will be challenging, as the team struggles in away matches: Romania has won only three of their last ten away World Cup qualifiers, with two victories against Liechtenstein and San Marino. Additionally, during this period, the team lost to Montenegro and Armenia, who rank significantly lower than Romania in the FIFA rankings.
I believe the hosts will take advantage of their home field and secure three points. My prediction: Austria to win
