Austria chasing the home record
It may just be a friendly, but it could take on historic proportions. When Austria hosts South Korea on Sunday, Ralf Rangnick’s team could remain unbeaten in home games for the 13th consecutive time. The Austrian national team has never achieved this in its long history. In any case, the signs are good that this feat could be accomplished.
With a 5-1 victory over World Cup participant Ghana on Friday, the players from the Alpine republic have already gained a lot of confidence.
In the 5-1 spectacle against Ghana, two “new signings” in particular stood out alongside the established players on the ÖFB squad. Paul Wanner provided two assists in 45 minutes, and 22-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka scored the 4-1 goal just minutes after coming on as a substitute. Even aside from the goals, both players repeatedly showcased their individual class. It is therefore safe to assume that they will see more playing time on Tuesday.
Although the two clearly strengthen the midfield, that doesn’t mean a goal-fest is in store against the Asians. Rather, the prediction for Austria vs. South Korea is that few goals will be scored. For all due respect to Rangnick’s team’s performance in the second half, Ghana appeared defensively inferior for much of those 45 minutes. That is not to be expected from the South Koreans.
The team led by veteran star Heung-Min Son is, in fact, an extremely disciplined side compared to Friday’s sparring partner, having secured first place in their group during World Cup qualifying thanks to their solid defense. In ten games, they conceded only seven goals—the 0-4 loss in Friday’s friendly against Ivory Coast is therefore likely to be a one-off blip. Since Ralf Rangnick’s team has also conceded more than two goals only once in their last 15 games, a low-scoring match is expected.
Austria – South Korea Head-to-Head Record
The head-to-head record reveals nothing new about this match. In fact, these two teams will face each other for the very first time on Tuesday. However, it’s worth taking a look at their most recent matches.
Both the Red-Whites and the South Koreans have played against Ghana in recent months. While Rangnick’s team won 5-1, the 22nd-ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings struggled to a narrow 1-0 victory, which underscores the host’s role as favorite in this matchup and makes the bet on the former even more attractive in Austria vs. South Korea.
Austria – South Korea Prediction
On Tuesday, Austria will be chasing the home record of 13 consecutive unbeaten matches, and there is good reason to believe that this record will be broken.
However, Ralf Rangnick’s team faces a significantly more disciplined, defensive, and overall better-organized opponent in South Korea.
Even though a home win is expected, we shouldn’t expect to see another goal fest like the one on Friday. Instead, when betting on Austria vs. South Korea, you should look for good odds on few goals or “Both Teams to Score – No.”
