Republic of Ireland vs Austria — match summary
Europe · UEFA Nations League · kick-off 2 Oct 2026 01:45
Not started yet
NextGOAL tip: Austria -0.25 · 2 stars
This UEFA Nations League fixture brings Republic of Ireland up against Austria at a moment when the two sides' most recent results tell very different stories. Republic of Ireland have just thrashed their opponents 3-0 in this competition, while Austria have won 3-1 in back-to-back matches in the same competition. Both therefore walk onto the pitch with comparable confidence, differing only in how they got there. Austria look the side more capable of creating the game. Over their last 10 matches they have put 5.22 shots on target per game and held 54.2% possession, while Republic of Ireland have held only 43.5% of the ball but still managed 4.33 shots on target per game, reflecting that the hosts do not focus on dominating possession but instead wait for counter-attacking moments and use their sharpness inside the penalty area as their main weapon. If Austria control the rhythm in midfield as the stats suggest and squeeze the hosts into defending deep, the game should flow toward the visitors, who will do more of the attacking, and it tends to end with a goal margin in Austria's favour, even if that gap is not especially wide.