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Austria beat Azerbaijan to qualify for Euro 2024 | Football News – Times of India
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NEW DELHI: Austria on Monday secured their place in Euro 2024 with a 1-0 triumph over Azerbaijan in Baku, guaranteeing a top-two finish in Group F.
Marcel Sabitzer, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, made a decisive impact by converting a penalty just three minutes after entering as a halftime substitute, earning Austria a spot in their third consecutive European Championship.
Despite a recent 3-2 home defeat against Belgium, Ralf Rangnick’s team rebounded to become one of the eight nations assured of a spot in the 24-team tournament in Germany next year.
The penalty was awarded in the second half when Sabitzer’s free-kick was handled by an Azerbaijan player in the wall. This marked Sabitzer’s fourth goal in qualifying, and his second successful spot-kick in four days, securing the victory as Tural Bayramov missed a late opportunity to equalize for Azerbaijan.
Marcel Sabitzer, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, made a decisive impact by converting a penalty just three minutes after entering as a halftime substitute, earning Austria a spot in their third consecutive European Championship.
Despite a recent 3-2 home defeat against Belgium, Ralf Rangnick’s team rebounded to become one of the eight nations assured of a spot in the 24-team tournament in Germany next year.
The penalty was awarded in the second half when Sabitzer’s free-kick was handled by an Azerbaijan player in the wall. This marked Sabitzer’s fourth goal in qualifying, and his second successful spot-kick in four days, securing the victory as Tural Bayramov missed a late opportunity to equalize for Azerbaijan.
The match ended on a somewhat sour note for Austria as Guido Burgstaller received two yellow cards in stoppage time, resulting in a red card and leaving Austria with 10 men. With a fifth win in seven matches, Austria now sits comfortably 10 points ahead of third-placed Sweden. Sweden will now have to navigate the playoffs to avoid missing out on qualification for the first time since Euro 96.
Austria, tied on 16 points with Belgium but having played an additional game, will conclude their qualifying campaign with an away fixture against Estonia next month.
