Match Introduction

The 7th-round match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament between the national teams of Austria and San Marino is scheduled for October 9 at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. This preview provides a detailed match analysis, betting odds, and statistics for the Austria vs. San Marino encounter.

Austria Team Analysis

Ralf Rangnick’s squad secured an away victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina (2:1) in their last fixture. As a result, Austria has extended their winning streak in the World Cup qualifiers to four consecutive matches, boasting a flawless record in the current campaign. Despite this perfect run, the national team currently holds second place in the group, trailing the Bosnians on goal difference, although they have played one fewer game.

Austria Key Statistics

• The team has emerged victorious in 6 of their last 8 home matches in European qualifiers.
• The national team has conceded goals in 8 of their previous 9 home games in World Cup qualifiers.
• The Austrians have not scored more than three goals in 12 of their last 14 home qualifying matches for the World Cup.

Austria Predicted Lineup (4-5-1)

Alexander Schlager – Konrad Laimer, Philipp Lienhart, David Alaba, Phillipp Mwene – Romano Schmid, Nicolas Seiwald, Christoph Baumgartner, Marcel Sabitzer, Florian Grillitsch – Marko Arnautović.

Midfielder Patrick Wimmer will be unavailable for the match due to suspension.

San Marino Team Analysis

Roberto Cevoli’s San Marino side has suffered defeat in every match of the current World Cup qualifying campaign. Furthermore, San Marino’s losing streak in European qualifiers has now reached an astonishing 58 matches, with the national team managing to score only one goal in their last ten outings. It’s also worth noting that in their two most recent games, San Marino conceded a combined ten goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria. The team currently occupies the bottom position in their group standings.

San Marino Key Statistics

• The team has failed to score in their last eight away World Cup qualifying matches.
• The national team has conceded at least four goals in 7 of their last 10 away games in European qualifiers.
• San Marino has avoided defeat by more than four goals in 6 of their last 8 World Cup qualifying matches.

San Marino Predicted Lineup (4-5-1)

Edoardo Colombo – Filippo Fabbri, Michele Cevoli, Giacomo Valentini, Alberto Riccardi – Lorenzo Capicchioni, Samuele Zannoni, Marcello Mularoni, Andrea Contadini, Filippo Berardi – Nicola Nanni.

Midfielder Alessandro Golinucci will be absent due to suspension.

Match Official: Yigal Frid

Referee: Yigal Frid (Israel)

Matches refereed – 5 (International fixtures, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 22;

Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;

Red cards shown – 0;

Average fouls per match – 21;

Penalties awarded – 20%.

Austria vs San Marino Match Prediction

This fixture is unlikely to be challenging for the hosts, but in my view, San Marino might be able to avoid a truly crushing defeat. Even on home soil, the Austrians haven’t consistently displayed enough attacking prowess to suggest a goal-fest from Ralf Rangnick’s side. In their last 14 home World Cup qualifying matches, the national team has never managed to score more than four goals, even against perceived weaker opponents such as the Faroe Islands, Moldova, and Cyprus during this period.

San Marino is the lowest-ranked national team in UEFA and has not secured any points in World Cup qualifiers for a very long time. However, recently, the team has often managed to prevent their opponents from achieving excessively large victories. Moreover, in their last nine away World Cup qualifying matches, San Marino conceded no more than five goals, even when facing formidable teams like England, Poland, and the Czech Republic during this stretch.

Additionally, I believe the hosts will have their upcoming qualifier against Romania in mind and might not exert themselves to their full potential in this match. My prediction is: Austria Individual Total Goals Under 5.5 with odds of 2.10