The chase for the 2016 European Cup will take its next step on Thursday. Two teams attempting to qualify for the tournament will do battle in a match between Moldova and Austria. The contest scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET will be held at Zimbru Stadium in Chisinau and can be live streamed here free.
Match Background (via UEFA):
Having first met in 2002, Moldova and Austria restore their rivalry in a qualifying Group G fixture on Friday. The first competitive match between the two saw Austria capture a 2-0 victory thanks to a pair of converted penalties from former captain Andreas Herzog. Just one year later, Viktor Pasulka would return the favor and seal a 1-0 victory for Moldova. The two have not met at the senior level since.
At the youth level, specifically the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers, Austria has been the dominant force. In five competitive matches, Das Team is unbeaten with a record of 2-3-0. Both victories came by the slimmest of margins (1-0).
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Austria's Marko Arnautovic has made five appearances for Stoke City this season. The 25-year-old is averaging 1.6 key passes per match and will look to do more of the same as the secondary striker on the international level this afternoon.
Moldova's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Cebanu; Golovatenco, Epureanu, Racu, Jardan; Dedov, Gheorghiev, Cojocari; Antoniuc, Sidorenco
Austria's Projected Lineup (4-4-1-1): Almer; Fuchs, Klein, Alaba, Dragovic; Baumgartlinger, Leitgeb, Junuzovic, Lazaro; Janko, Arnautovic
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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