Group D: Austria v Wales
WHICH AUSTRIA WILL we see tonight?
The side that severely under-performed in France or the team that cruised through the qualifiers for Euro 2016 with nine wins and one draw?
In fact, if you include their victory over Georgia last month, it’s 10 consecutive wins in the qualifiers for Marcel Koller’s side. And they will be expecting a victory over Wales this evening.
The visitors are set to bring up to 4,000 fans to Vienna tonight, and they will be cheering on a side minus the injured Aaron Ramsey, with Leicester’s Andy King once again expected to fill the void, as he did in the 4-0 win over Moldova.
Chris Coleman’s men will probably settle for a draw, which will be the best result for Ireland in the early days of the qualification process. No doubt, Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane will be keeping a close eye on events in Austria with Ireland set to travel to the Ernst-Happel-Stadion next month.
Group D: Moldova v Serbia
If Serbia are to be in the mix to qualify for Russia by this time next year, this is a match you feel is a must-win.
Moldova are the lowest ranked team in Group D, and currently sit in 161st place in the Fifa rankings – below Lesotho, Afghanistan and Kuwait, and as mentioned, were easily beaten 4-0 by Wales on the last matchday.
Serbia will be boosted by the return of key pair Aleksandar Kolarov and Nemanja Matić in Chișinău tonight, having been suspended for the first match against Ireland, but this team has a habit of being their own worst enemy.
And with a home fixture to come against Austria on Sunday night, Group D could quickly be taking shape by the end of this round of qualifiers.
Group G: Italy v Spain
Two new managers come face-to-face in Turin in the standout game of this week’s qualifiers as Giampiero Ventura’s Italy host Julen Lopetegui’s Spain.
In a group that contains Albania, Macedonia, Israel and Liechtenstein the outcome of this match will go a long way in deciding who will qualify automatically, and who must battle it out in the play-offs from Group G. Although Albania will feel they may have a say in this group before the campaign ends.
Ander Herrera has earned his first Spain call-up for this week’s double header, but with an abudance of riches in midfield, the 27-year-old will be struggling to get any game time this week as Lopetegui aims to reverse the 2-1 loss from Euro 2016 – a defeat many deemed the end of Spain’s golden generation.
Group I: Kosovo v Croatia
Kosovo will play their first designated home World Cup qualifier in Albania, with a reported 16,000 tickets sold for the match sold after just three hours. Having become a self-declared independent nation in 2008, Kosovo’s inclusion has been surrounded in controversy.
In fact, it was only confirmed by the authorities a couple of hours before their first game against Finland, that players who have played for other countries, could switch their allegiance to Kosovo.
Valon Berisha, was one of those players, and he scored the equaliser for Kosovo in their first qualifier to win a point in Finland.
The Swedish-born midfielder had already won 18 senior caps for Norway, but was allowed to play due to his Kosovar background.
Croatia await a hostile crowd, and don’t be surprised if the shock of the night comes from this intriguing fixture with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic missing for the visitors.
All games kick-off at 19:45
Group D
Austria v Wales
Moldova v Serbia
Ireland v Georgia
Group G
Italy v Spain
Liechtenstein v Albania
Macedonia v Israel
Group I
Iceland v Finland
Kosovo v Croatia
Turkey v Ukraine
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