CYPRUS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER TO AUSTRIA

Cyprus dropped their 2026 World Cup qualifiers finale, 2-0 at home to Austria in a match where they struggled to get the ball. Austria were on a mission and they got the job done with relative ease. Cyprus have now lost eight of nine meetings with Austria all-time. This result guarantees Austria to at least be leading Group H going into the final matchday, and depending on what happens later on between Romania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, they could be qualified by the end of the night. Cyprus will finish fourth in the group on 8 points. The rest of the group will finish Tuesday, Cyprus will be playing Tuesday as well, hosting Estonia in a friendly in Larnaca.

Cyprus hosted Austria at Alphamega Stadium in Limassol. Austria had the first attempt on target, but it was a routine save for Fabiano on Marcel Sabitzer. Austria continued to carry the play early on, and eventually Anderson Correia hauled down Christoph Baumgartner for a penalty. The Austrian captain Marko Arnautovic stepped up to take it, and though Fabiano went the right way, it was a well taken penalty beyond his reach, and it was 1-0 for Austria in the 15th minute.

The Austrians continued to push, Fabiano made another save on Sabitzer, and then did well to leave no rebound when stopping an attempt off the boot of Nicolas Seiwald. Sabitzer put another one wide, and that was how the first half would end, 1-0 for Austria at halftime.

Austria picked up where they left off in the first half, and Fabiano did well to deny a point-blank header from Romano Schmid. Sure enough, ten minutes into the second half, Arnautovic struck again. In one motion, he settled the ball, crossed up Nikolas Panayiotou, and placed it through Fabiano’s legs, 2-0 Austria.

After a string of substitutions, Cyprus finally started to see more of the ball, even earning some corners, but all were cleared easily, except for when Christos Shelis shanked one over the net. Austria went in for the kill at the other end, and Fabiano was beaten, but mercifully, Patrick Wimmer put it off the post. In the end, Alexander Schlager earned a clean sheet without having to make a save, and Austria came away with a professional 2-0 win.

Cyprus(Apostolos Mantzios): 12. Fabiano(GK), 2. Andreas Shikkis, 15. Christos Shelis, 3. Nikolas Panayiotou, 7. Anderson Correia(’65 13. Ioannis Kosti), 17. Loizos Loizou(’65 11. Andronikos Kakoullis), 8. Ioannis Kousoulos, 5. Charalambos Charalambous(’82 9. Nikolas Koutsakos), 21. Marinos Tzionis(’88 19. Antonio Foti), 20. Grigoris Kastanos(Captain)(’65 16. Stelios Andreou), 10. Pieros Sotiriou

Austria(Ralf Rangnick): 1. Alexander Schlager(GK), 4. Xaver Schlager(’60 21. Patrick Wimmer), 15. Philipp Lienhart, 3. Kevin Danso, 5. Stefan Posch, 6. Nicolas Seiwald, 20. Konrad Laimer, 9. Marcel Sabitzer(’90 17. Marco Grull), 19. Christoph Baumgartner(’85 2. Marco Friedl), 18. Romano Schmid(’90 16. Nikolaus Wurmbrand), 7. Marko Arnautovic(Captain)(’60 11. Michael Gregoritsch)

Andrew Mantzas

Twitter: @MantzasNC