Requiring three more points to ensure their place at Euro 2024, Austria meet Azerbaijan at Tofiq Bahramov Stadium on Monday evening.

While the visitors could even qualify with a draw if other results go their way, their hosts only registered a first Group F win on Friday.

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Having previously edged to within touching distance of a third straight European Championship appearance, Austria came up just short in the battle of Group F's top two at Ernst Happel Stadion, when Ralf Rangnick's side hosted Belgium last time out.

Three goals down at home to the Red Devils before the hour mark, it took late goals from Konrad Laimer and Marcel Sabitzer to reduce the Austrians' deficit in a 3-2 defeat, which leaves them three points behind their Belgian counterparts in the standings with two games to play.

While Romelu Lukaku and co have now qualified directly for Euro 2024, Austria must still beat Azerbaijan - or avoid losing by at least three goals and hope Sweden fail to beat Belgium - in order to claim their ticket this month.

After winning four of their first five fixtures, conceding only four goals in the process, Das Team have endured their first real setback on the road to neighbouring Germany, where next summer's finals will be held, but they still sit seven points clear of third-placed Sweden having played one game more.

Even if they slip up on Monday, though, Austria can expect to finish the job in November, when they visit rock-bottom Estonia.

Nonetheless, having seen an eight-game unbeaten run ended in such disappointing fashion, Rangnick will want his injury-hit side to react and seal qualification at the first available opportunity.

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Including a 4-1 defeat in Linz, when they last encountered Austria earlier this year, Azerbaijan had lost three of their four qualifying fixtures ahead of Friday's game against fellow strugglers Estonia.

Group F's bottom two squared off in Tallinn, and the Azeris came out on top thanks to first-half strikes from Toral Bayramov and Ramil Sheydayev, the latter of whom came through Russia's youth system and plays his club football in Thailand.

With a tally of just four points, to keep hopes alive of an improbable top-two finish, Gianni De Biasi's boys must now beat Austria by at least three goals to remain in contention.

More realistically, Azerbaijan - who have yet to reach a major finals since starting out on the road to Euro 1996 - can aim to overhaul Sweden or at least avoid finishing last by preventing Estonia overtaking them.

Next month, the 121st-placed nation in FIFA's world rankings will conclude their campaign with games against the Swedes and Belgium, and such a tough run-in surely makes picking up more points less likely.

Having previously beaten Jordan 2-1 in a friendly before seeing off Estonia, securing back-to-back wins will at least boost confidence ahead of Monday's contest in Baku, where only the Belgians have beaten the Azeris since June 2022.

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Without two of their most integral players this month, Austria will again have to replace both Real Madrid's David Alaba and Inter Milan striker Marko Arnautovic in Azerbaijan.

Stefan Posch (thigh) and Gernot Trauner (knee) are also unavailable due to injury, while Michael Gregoritsch and Lens defender Kevin Danso are both doubts, but Ralf Rangnick still has plenty of options open to him in a 26-man squad.

In the absence of Arnautovic, Wolves forward Sasa Kalajdzic will fight it out with Manprit Sarkaria to start up front, and Marcel Sabitzer may be introduced to freshen up the visitors' midfield.

Azerbaijan will most likely look to build on Friday's win by naming a similar starting XI against Austria, with Emin Mahmudov and Ramil Sheydayev - who have scored 20 international goals between them - providing their primary threat in attack.

Dinamo Zagreb striker Mahir Emreli should join them, but Renat Dadashov is also in contention; meanwhile, Toral Bayramov is set to be retained out wide after netting his first goal in the win over Estonia.

Azerbaijan possible starting lineup:
Magomedaliyev; Mammadov, Haghverdi, Kryvotsyuk; Bayramov, Diniyev, Isayev, Cafarguliyev; Mahmudov, Sheydayev; Emreli

Austria possible starting lineup:
A. Schlager; Seiwald, Daniliuc, Lienhart, Wober; Laimer, X. Schlager, Grillitsch, Sabitzer; Baumgartner, Kalajdzic

We say: Azerbaijan 1-2 Austria

Emerging from Tofiq Bahramov Stadium with maximum points is never a straightforward task for any visiting side, so Austria may only secure a qualification-clenching victory by a one-goal margin on Monday. As several Austrian stars are either ruled out or struggling with injury, some fringe players will have to step up and seal their nation's place at the Euros.


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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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