Austria vs Scotland Prediction & Betting Tips - World Cup

Prediction published on 05/09/2021, 02:57  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 05/09/2021 at 03:02 in World Cup Predictions

Austria will host Scotland in what has been termed a pivotal game in Group F of the World Cup qualifiers after the two posted mixed results in Round 5. Scotland rose to third above Austria with a 1-0 win over Moldova while Austria dropped to fourth with a 5-2 loss against Israel. Austria will be counting on home advantage going to this game and the good form shown by Marko Arnautovic and Christophe Baumgartner in attack. The two are responsible for Austria’s four goals in the last two matches. Austria will have to do better defensively though, having conceded two or more goals in three of their last five matches. The big loss to Israel will definitely call for a rethink. They’ve however been good in attack and that is one area they’ll want to take advantage of. At home, in World Cup qualifiers, Austria have 13 wins in 20 matches. They’ve lost just once in the last five, winning three and scoring two or more in three of the five.

Scotland go to this game straight from a nervy win over Moldova at home. It was far from comfortable but they’ll be happy to have bagged three points ahead of a tough away trip. Their first win in five matches keeps alive hopes of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since France 1998. However, they’ve failed to score in three of the last five matches and this will be another key issue going to Austria. In the last six matches, the Scots haven’t been able to score more than a goal and the two wins they’ve managed in this group have come against the bottom placed teams. One more point for Scotland came in the 2-2 draw with Austria earlier in this group, when at home, they were forced to come from down twice. They don’t have a very good run away from home in such qualifiers; their only win in the last six was against Lithuania, a 3-0 win that also serves as their only clean sheet in eight.