Austria will be aiming to claim top spot in Group F as they host San Marino at the Ernst Happel Stadion on Thursday for the sixth round of the World Cup qualifiers.
Das Team currently sit just behind Bosnia & Herzegovina on goal difference, but with a game in hand, a convincing victory over La Serenissima could see them move into first place, provided results elsewhere go in their favour.
Read our Austria vs San Marino predictions and preview to find out, but remember to also check our other World Cup qualifiers tips.
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Austria vs San Marino prediction: Das Team aim for top spot
Key stats:
- Marko Arnautovic netted a brace in the most recent meeting between both nations.
- Austria have secured dominant wins in all three previous meetings with San Marino, including a combined 11-0 across the last two.
- San Marino have lost each of their last seven matches, four of which came in the World Cup qualifiers.
- Das Team have maintained a perfect record in the qualifying campaign, winning all four of their fixtures so far.
Correct score prediction: Austria 5-0 San Marino
San Marino have conceded 18 goals across their five qualifying fixtures, managing to score just once in that stretch. Facing an Austrian side that comfortably won the reverse fixture 4-0 offers little hope for a different outcome. With the hosts expected to dominate from start to finish, another emphatic scoreline appears highly likely.
Pre-match analysis: Almost no chance for the visitors
- HOME: 1/1000 (1.00) – 99.9%
- DRAW: 66/1 (67.00) – 1.5%
- AWAY: 125/1 (126.00) – 0.8%
*Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes; subject to change.
San Marino have long been regarded as one of the weakest sides in world football, and the above figures tell the story. Austria are practically assured of victory with a near-certain 99.9% win probability, while the visitors’ faint 0.8% chance highlights the enormity of the task at hand. Anything less than a home win would go down as one of the biggest shocks in international football.
Our hot tip of a home first-half win combined with over 2.5 goals, priced at 1.85, provides good value, considering the last two meetings between these sides saw Das Team cruise to multi-goal advantages before the break.
Most recent H2H: Das Team have unsurprisingly been dominant
The reverse fixture in this qualifying campaign ended in a 4-0 win for Austria in San Marino, extending their perfect record to three straight victories over La Serenissima. Given the gulf in quality, another one-sided affair appears to be on the cards.
Austria preview: Patrick Wimmer’s suspension not a major setback
Austria strengthened their qualification hopes with a crucial 2-1 win away to Bosnia in their last outing. With 12 points from four matches, Ralf Rangnick’s men enter this encounter aware that a comfortable triumph should lift them to the summit of the group.
The head coach will be without Patrick Wimmer, who serves a suspension following his red card against Bosnia. However, given that the winger was introduced from the bench in that match, his absence is unlikely to disrupt Rangnick’s plans significantly. The hosts are expected to maintain their attacking fluidity, with Marcel Sabitzer and Christoph Baumgartner orchestrating play behind a potent front line.
Predicted XI: Schlager (GK), Laimer, Lienhart, Alaba, Mwene, Schmid, Seiwald, Grillitsch, Sabitzer, Baumgartner & Arnautovic
Austria's last five results
- 09/09/25: Bosnia 1-2 Austria (W)
- 06/09/25: Austria 1-0 Cyprus (W)
- 10/06/25: San Marino 0-4 Austria (W)
- 07/06/25: Austria 2-1 Romania (W)
- 23/03/25: Serbia 2-0 Austria (L)
San Marino preview: Alessandro Golinucci suspended
San Marino remain rooted to the bottom of Group F with no points from five matches and only a single goal scored. They were thrashed 6-0 by Bosnia in their most recent qualifier and suffered a 3-1 loss to Malta in a friendly soon after.
Midfielder Alessandro Golinucci will miss the trip to Vienna after receiving a red card in the defeat to Bosnia. Tommaso Benvenuti also remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.
Predicted XI: Colombo (GK), Fabbri, Cevoli, Valentini, Riccardi, Mularoni, Capicchioni, Zannoni, Salicioni, Nanni & Berardi
San Marino's last five results
- 09/09/25: Malta 3-1 San Marino (L)
- 06/09/25: San Marino 0-6 Bosnia (L)
- 02/08/25: Modena 4-1 San Marino (L)
- 10/06/25: San Marino 0-4 Austria (L)
- 07/06/25: Bosnia 1-0 San Marino (L)
Player to watch: Marko Arnautovic
Marko Arnautovic remains Austria’s talismanic figure, having scored twice in the previous meeting with San Marino. The Red Star Belgrade forward continues to play a vital role for Das Team, leading the line with experience.
With 127 caps, Arnautovic is the most-capped player in Austria’s history, and his 41 international goals place him just three shy of Toni Polster’s long-standing national record. The 36-year-old will be keen to edge closer to that milestone on Thursday, and given the opposition, few would bet against him finding the net once again.