Friendly against Tunisia

Lineup! Here’s how the ÖFB squad will line up in their final World Cup warm-up match

David Alaba(Bild: GEPA)

Here it is—the starting lineup with which Austria’s head coach Ralf Rangnick aims for victory in the final World Cup warm-up match against Tunisia!

Austria’s national soccer team will start with Marko Arnautovic and Romano Schmid in their final World Cup warm-up match against Tunisia at Vienna’s Happel Stadium. Head coach Ralf Rangnick is also relying on Konrad Laimer as left back.

Alexander Schlager is in goal, with Philipp Lienhart and captain David Alaba forming the central defense. For Arnautovic, this is likely his last international appearance in front of a home crowd; the record-holding international will be leaving the ÖFB team after the World Cup.

Here is the lineup:

A. Schlager – Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Laimer – Seiwald, X. Schlager – Schmid, Baumgartner, Sabitzer – Arnautovic

Tunisia was deliberately chosen as an opponent to prepare for the match against Jordan. “There are similarities in their playing styles. Jordan’s style is also geared toward counterattacks and playing from a deep block,” explained Rangnick. His team’s approach remains unchanged. “We’ll try to execute our game plan as well as possible on the field,” said Rangnick. They won’t be holding back, because “you can’t play a match that way with our style of play. But that doesn’t mean you risk life and limb in tackles—the guys are smart enough not to do that.”

The starting lineup against Tunisia will provide clear indications for the Jordan match, the 67-year-old revealed. Just as you wouldn’t put the second string on stage for the dress rehearsal of a musical or play, the German emphasized. “You can safely assume that it will largely be the same eleven that could also play against Jordan.”

There will already be “a change or two” at halftime, with more likely to follow as the match progresses.

Opponent Tunisia will face Belgium in a friendly on June 6; at the World Cup, the North Africans will take on Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands. Frenchman Sabri Lamouchi has served as head coach since January of this year; among the well-known players on the 44th-ranked team (Austria is ranked 24th) include Rani Khedira (Union Berlin) and Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt). At the most recent Africa Cup of Nations, the “Eagles of Carthage” were eliminated in the round of 16, but they comfortably qualified for the finals in North America with nine wins and one draw in ten matches.