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Austria will kick off their UEFA Nations League campaign on Thursday evening when they welcome Israel to Raiffeisen Arena in a League B Group 3 encounter.
Das Team are playing for the first time since being knocked out of the 2026 World Cup by eventual winners Spain in the round of 32, while the visitors travel to Linz having not played since a friendly against Albania.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Austria vs. Israel key stats
- Austria have not drawn any of their last four matches against their upcoming opponents.
- Ralf Rangnick's side progressed to the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup after finishing second in Group J, but they were knocked out by eventual winners Spain in a 3-0 defeat.
- Das Team won three of their six group games in the Nations League last time out before losing to Serbia in the promotion/relegation play-offs.
- David Alaba has made 117 appearances for Austria since making his debut in 2009 but will not add to that tally during this international break.
Austria vs. Israel preview: Can Rangnick's side make a winning start to their Nations League campaign?
Austria vs Israel (UEFA Nations League) — Tale of the Tape
| Austria | vs | Israel |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Position | N/A |
| N/A | Points | N/A |
| N/A | Goals For | N/A |
| N/A | Goals Against | N/A |
| N/A | Clean Sheets | N/A |
| N/A | Home / Away Rank | N/A |
Austria will kick off their Nations League campaign on home soil after a World Cup campaign in North America that saw them progress from their group with a win, draw and defeat before losing to Spain in the first knockout round.
Across those four encounters on the world's biggest stage, Ralf Rangnick's side failed to keep a clean sheet and will be hoping to improve on the defensive issues that saw them concede nine times.
Ahead of the World Cup, Das Team had found some solidity at the back, keeping successive clean sheets in narrow wins over South Korea and Tunisia in their warm-up friendlies, something they will be hoping to rediscover as they enter a group campaign in which they will see themselves as favourites.
Rangnick, who is now more than four years into his role as Austria boss, has made some big calls with the squad that will play four matches during this international break.
The biggest decision is the omission of captain David Alaba, who remains without a club after leaving Real Madrid in May and will not play in this batch of Nations League clashes.
Alongside the former Bayern Munich player, there is also no Marko Arnautovic, who retired from international football after the World Cup and ended his Austria career with 49 goals in 137 appearances.
The absence of several senior and well-known players who have shaped the national side for many years marks a new phase in the team's development, with Rangnick also welcoming six newcomers to his 27-man squad.
Two goalkeepers, Lukas Jungwirth and Christian Zawieschitzky, have been selected for the first time, alongside Felix Bacher, Nikolas Veratschnig, Christoph Lang and Vasilije Markovic.
As for the visiting side, they travel to Austria's third-largest city in what will be a contentious campaign for Ran Ben-Shimon's side.
While this game is being played on Austrian soil at Raiffeisen Arena, their two upcoming games against the Republic of Ireland will be played behind closed doors at neutral venues in Hungary and Serbia against the backdrop of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
For now, their opening clash in the Nations League will be played as normal, with Ben-Shimon's side playing for the first time since an international friendly win back in May.
The away side failed to qualify for the World Cup after finishing third in a five-team group with just six points from five matches.
Austria vs. Israel form guide & betting tips
| Austria | vs | Israel |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Form | N/A |
| N/A | Points | N/A |
| N/A | Form Table | N/A |
| N/A | Goals For | N/A |
| N/A | Goals Against | N/A |
|
W
W
L
D
L
|
Form (All Comps) |
L
D
W
D
W
|
Whispers predicts: Austria 3-0 Israel
With Rangnick boasting an impressive record as Austria boss and taking on a side with less quality than the hosts, it is no surprise to see the bookmakers have the hosts as clear favourites.
A win for Das Team is currently priced at 21/50, while our exact scoreline of 3-0 comes in at 9/1.
With that scoreline in mind, we are therefore backing Over 2.5 goals, which is priced at 8/15.
Michael Gregoritsch has made a strong start to the domestic season in the Bundesliga and is expected to lead the line throughout the block of four games during this international break. He is priced at 11/10 to score at anytime during Thursday's match.
> Austria to win at 21/50 | Likelihood: Very Likely
> Michael Gregoritsch to score anytime at 11/10 | Likelihood: Likely
> Over 2.5 goals at 8/15 | Likelihood: Probable
> Austria to win 3-0 at 9/1 | Likelihood: Outsider