Austria vs Serbia Predictions

• Austria have won their last two games against Serbia
• Austria beat Kazakhstan 4-0 and Norway 5-1 in recent home Nations League matches
• Serbia are without several top defenders because of injury and suspensions

Serbian stars unavailable in Vienna

Austria should capitalise on Serbia’s personnel problems to strike the first blow in their Nations League promotion play-off double header in Vienna on Thursday. Dragan Stokjovic will be without the three central defenders that started their last game — a 0-0 draw with Denmark that cost them a place in the quarter-finals and a better seeding for the World Cup qualifying draw.

Serbia are also without two of their attacking mainstays over the past few years – Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – while leading frontman Dusan Vlahovic has not scored for the national team in two years.  Four players, including in-form Nottingham Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic, are suspended for the first leg, which causes major disruption to Stojkovic’s selection.

Austria are also without a top trio – Stefan Posch, Marcel Sabitzer and Kevin Danso – but David Alaba’s return to the squad has given them a lift ahead of two matches they are taking very seriously.

Austria on the rise under Rangnick

Das Team are on the rise under Ralf Rangnick, who has won almost 60% of his matches since taking charge in May 2022. They finished above the Netherlands to win their group at Euro 2024 and were unlucky to go out in the last-16 to Turkey.

This is a match they should win as long as they continue on the path laid out for them by Rangnick. Serbia were easily beaten on the road by Denmark and Spain in League A and narrowly avoided another defeat away to Switzerland thanks to a late equaliser.

Austria’s big home wins over Kazakhstan and Norway in League B suggested that they should be playing at a higher level and they have enough talent breaking through to secure a win of some kind on Thursday night.