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    Cymru vs. Austria | 2027 European Under-21 Championship – Qualifying competition – Grp9

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        Live ReportMatch Summary

        2. MATCH SUMMARY

          Austria produced a dominant performance in Caernarfon to bring the qualifying campaign to a close with a resounding 7-1 victory over Cymru.

          Cymru were without both central defenders from the 1-0 defeat against Belgium as suspensions ruled Dan Cox and George Nevett out of this final Group I match, with Joel Cotterill and Reece Munro replacing them in the starting line-up.

          Gabriele Biancheri and Chris Popov were on target for Cymru in the 2-0 win against Austria when the two sides met in Linz last year, and it was Biancheri who would from the front this evening as Cymru looked to end the campaign on a high.

          Austria head coach Peter Perchtold also made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Denmark in Vienna on Friday, with Oluwaseun Adewumi and Erik Kojzek coming into their starting line-up. From the kick-off, the towering Kojzek showed his intention to cause problems for the Cymru defence.

          Within three minutes of the match, Austria were ahead as Luca Weinhandl fired the ball past Joe Duncan from close-range. The towering presence of Kojzek proved to be a cause for concern in the Cymru defence, but it was Jacob Hödl who doubled the lead for the visitors on 20 minutes following a great ball from Nico Bajlicz.

          Only a fine save from Duncan prevented Hödl from adding a third minutes later, but Cymru regrouped despite being under constant pressure on reduced the deficit on 30 minutes. A shot from Tanatswa Nyakuhwa was saved by goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth, but he could only parry the ball into the path of Callum Agius who made no mistake.

          However, Austria would restore their two-goal advantage just before half-time as David Puczka rounded Duncan and passed the ball into the empty net, with Cymru having an uphill task to finish the campaign with a positive result.

          The 2nd half started with the same pace as Agius tested Jungwirth, and at the other end, Hödl could only fire his effort wide of Duncan’s post. On 56 minutes, the pressure from Austria delivered a fourth goal as Adewumi capitalised on loose ball following a scramble in the Cymru area that had also seen Puczka hit the post.

          Cymru showed great character despite conceding again, with Biancheri, substitute Oliver Bostock and Charlie Crew all testing Jungwirth with a series of efforts on goal as the game became increasingly open. The introduction of 15-year-old Noah Anyadike then made history as he became the youngest-ever player for Cymru at this level.

          Austria added a fifth on 71 minutes when Nikolaus Wurmbrand’s effort unfortunately deflected off Anyadike and looped over Duncan. Austria continued to pressure until the final whistle, with Erik Kojzek adding a sixth before Jannik Schuster’s header was deflected in by Archie Harris to make it 7-1 in the closing stages of the match.

        3. FULL-TIME VERDICT

          Austria more than made amends for their 2-0 defeat to Cymru in Linz last October as they brought the qualifying campaign to a close with a convincing 7-1 victory at The Oval. Callum Agius did score Cymru’s only of the game on the 30-minute mark, and while it made the game competitive as it reduced Austria’s two-goal lead at the time, Austria showed they had a lot more to offer for the 1,360 fans in attendance. This was a painful end to the campaign for Matty Jones and his squad, and a result that these Cymru players will want to quickly move on from.

        4. 86'

          Austria are not letting Cymru off here in Caernarfon as Schuster’s header deflected into the net by Harris to make it 7-1.

        5. 86'

          Goal

          Jannik Schuster

        6. 86'

          Substitution

          Ensar Music replaces Jacob Hödl

        7. 85'

          Kojzek converts from the penalty spot to score Austria’s sixth goal of the night.

        8. 85'

          Penalty

          Erik Kojzek

        9. 79'

          Yellow card

          Luca Weinhandl

        10. 78'

          Substitution

          Yanik Spalt replaces David Puczka

        11. 74'

          Substitution

          BLAND Jonathan replaces AGIUS Calum

        12. 74'

          Substitution

          SCARLETT Leon replaces BIANCHERI Gabriele

        13. 71'

          A tough moment for Anyadike as he blocks an effort from Wurmbrand and the ball loops over Duncan for Austria’s fifth goal of the night.

        14. 71'

          Own goal

          ANYADIKE Noah Dafydd

        15. 71'

          Own goal

          ANYADIKE Noah Dafydd

        16. Archie Harris plays the ball forward

        17. 69'

          Substitution

          Oghenetejiri Adejenughure replaces Vasilije Markovic

        18. 69'

          Substitution

          Ifeanyi Ndukwe replaces Valentin Zabransky

        19. 69'

          Substitution

          Nikolaus Wurmbrand replaces Oluwaseun Adewumi

        20. 69'

          It’s been a decent response from Cymru despite conceding that fourth goal. Crew the latest player to test Jungwirth who has had plenty to do in the Austrian goal.

        21. 61'

          Bostock tries his luck again but Jungwirth denies him for the second time in less than a minute.

        22. 60'

          Substitute Bostock with a great shot but Jungwirth makes the save.

        23. 57'

          Substitution

          ANYADIKE Noah Dafydd replaces MUNRO Reece

        24. 57'

          Very close to an immediate response from Cymru as Biancheri as his shot saved by Jungwirth.

        25. 57'

          Substitution

          BOSTOCK Oliver replaces NYAKUHWA Tanatswa

        26. 57'

          Substitution

          WILLIAMS Alexander David replaces COTTERILL Joel Leigh

        27. 56'

          A fourth for Austria following a scramble in the Cymru area as Adewumi finishes after Puczka had hit the post.

        28. 56'

          Goal

          Oluwaseun Adewumi

        29. Charlie Crew challenges Austria’s Nico Bajlicz

        30. 51'

          Hödl with another effort for Austria but his shot misses the target.

        31. 48'

          Agius with a decent shot but it’s safely collected by Jungwirth.

        32. 46'

          Cymru get the 2nd half underway. can they pull this one back?

        33. HALF-TIME VERDICT

          Austria raced into a two-goal lead as Luca Weinhandl and Jacob Hödl put the visitors in a commanding position inside the opening 20 minutes. Despite the setback and Cymru goalkeeper Joe Duncan having to be at his best to prevent Hödl adding a third, the home side were able to regroup and respond positively with a large Caernarfon crowd behind them. On the half-hour mark, Callum Agius reduced the deficit as he scored from close-range, but Austria would restore their advantage on 42 minutes as David Puczka rounded Duncan and made no mistake with the empty net at his disposal.

        34. 42'

          Puczka adds a third for Austria as he rounds Duncan and fires into an empty net. Another setback for Cymru just before half-time.

        35. 42'

          Goal

          David Puczka

        37. 30'

          GOAL! Nyakuhwa’s shot is saved by Jungwirth but the goalkeeper parries it into the path of Agius and he makes no mistake to bring Cymru back into the match.

        38. 30'

          Goal

          AGIUS Calum

        39. 22'

          Hödl with another great chance but his effort is blocked. Cymru need to a spell of possession to take the pressure off the defence.

        40. 20'

          Hödl doubles the lead for Austria as he curls his effort past Duncan into the far corner of the net. Bajlicz with a great ball for the assist.

        41. 20'

          Goal

          Jacob Hödl

        42. 19'

          Zabransky with a good chance for Austria but he is denied by a great save from Duncan. Another warning for Cymru.

        43. 15'

          Cymru having more productive spells of possession now as they settle into the match. It’s been a good response from the home side to that early setback.

        44. The Cymru starting line-up

        45. 10'

          Austria looking good value for their lead after 10 minutes of the match. An excellent crowd here at The Oval to support the young Cymru side though.

        46. 3'

          Luca Weinhandl opens the scoring for Austria as he fires past Joe Duncan from close-range.

        47. 3'

          Goal

          Luca Weinhandl

        48. 1'

          Here we go as Austria gets thing underway.

        49. The national anthems are complete and we’re ready for kick-off here at The Oval.

        50. Kai Andrews captains Cymru this evening

        52. Cymru U21 head coach Matty Jones spoke to the media yesterday about the challenges posed by Austria.

          “They went toe-to-toe against Denmark last week,” said Jones. “We watched the game; we made sure we studied everything in terms of what they’re going to bring. Nothing was too dissimilar in terms of what we’re planning for.

          “Their game plan is very much about the counter-press moment, and they’re very good at it. So, we know what’s coming, and we’re highly prepared for that.”

          Click here for more from Matty Jones and midfielder Charlie Crew

        53. Cymru have arrived The Oval

        54. The Cymru kit for the final match of the qualifying campaign.

        58. TEAM NEWS

          Cymru head coach Matty Jones has made two enforced changes to his starting line-up from the side that lost 1-0 to Belgium in Westerlo last week.

          With defenders Dan Cox and George Nevett both ruled out through suspension, Joel Cotterill and Reece Munro come into the first XI. Cox was sent off in the defeat while Nevett received his third yellow card of the campaign.

          Kai Andrews captains Cymru once again on his seventh appearance at U21 level, while Cotterill will play his 19th and final game for the side.

          Meanwhile, Austria head coach Peter Perchtold has also made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Denmark in Vienna on Friday, with Oluwaseun Adewumi and Erik Kojzek coming into their starting line-up.

        59. Team news to follow shortly as Cymru complete their UEFA U21 EURO qualifying campaign against Austria.

        61. WELCOME TO CAERNARFON

          Cymru complete their UEFA U21 EURO qualifying campaign at The Oval, Caernarfon, later today as they take on Austria in their final Group I match (5.30pm).

          Although neither side can now make it to the finals, Matty Jones’ side will be looking to complete the double over Austria having claimed a memorable 2-0 win against their opponents in Linz last October.

          Keep checking back here for team news, live updates and post-match reaction.

        66. MATTY JONES ON BELGIUM PERFORMANCE & CAERNARFON PASSION

          Cymru U21 head coach Matty Jones also spoke to the media on Monday as his squad completed their preparations for the final qualifier against Austria.

          Although his side suffered a 1-0 defeat against Belgium in Westerlo last week, the performance against the group leaders showed how far this group of players has progressed during the course of the campaign.

          “The reaction from the game against Belgium, even though it was a loss, there was a sense of achievement,” said Jones. “The togetherness, grit, heart and desire they showed was just a great show of what a good team looks like when you are in trouble. They stuck together, and it’s helped our training this week, the atmosphere has been fantastic.”

          Jones also revealed that he asked Caernarfon Town chairman Paul Evans and manager Richard Davies to address his squad as they trained at The Oval this week ahead of what will be a significant night for the club as they host international football.

          “The humility and passion for Welsh football in this area has absolutely blown me away,” said Jones. “I already feel the love, the warmth and the excitement, and I wanted the players to feel that before kick-off. So, bringing them both in was really important to me.”

          Click here for more from Matty Jones and midfielder Charlie Crew

        67. CHARLIE CREW ON CYMRU & CAERNARFON

          Cymru midfielder Charlie Crew spoke to the media on Monday about the team spirit within the squad and the welcome they have received at Caernarfon Town this week as they prepare to take on Austria tomorrow (5.30pm).

          “This is a really good group of players,” said Crew. “We love each and every one of us and the staff are top as well, so to spend this much time away doesn’t really feel any different. It’s similar to club with the amount of rest you get and the preparation leading into a game.

          “The pitch is really nice. We’ve trained on it and we have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. The welcome has been really good from the manager and the chairman.

          “They’ve made this place our home for these for these last three days, so hopefully we can repay them with a positive performance.”

        68. FINAL PREPARATIONS

          The Cymru U21 squad completed their preparations at The Oval earlier today ahead of their final qualifier against Austria on Tuesday (5.30pm).

          Head coach Matty Jones will be without Dan Cox and George Nevitt through suspension as the side look to complete the double over their opponents having defeated them 2-0 in Linz last October through goals from Gabriele Biancheri and Chris Popov.

          The match also marks a significant milestone as it brings international football to the home of Novira Cymru Premier club Caernarfon Town.

        70. GROUP I UPDATE

          Austria were in action on Friday night as they played out a 1-1 draw against Denmark in Vienna.

          The visitors took the lead on 50 minutes through Conrad Harder before Austria levelled through Erik Kozjek with just over 20 minutes remaining. Denmark were then reduced to ten men deep into injury time as Julius Berthel Askou was shown a second yellow card.

          The group concludes on Tuesday night as Cymru host Austria at Caernarfon, while Denmark must beat Belgium to win the group and qualify automatically for the UEFA U21 EURO Finals that will take place in Albania and Serbia next summer. Both games kick off at 5.30pm UK time.

          Belgium currently hold a two point lead over the Danes and only need to avoid defeat to claim their place at the finals, which would leave Denmark having to qualify through the play-offs. Belarus have already completed their fixtures.

        71. LAST MEETING

          Cymru claimed their best result of this qualifying campaign against Austria in October last year as goals from Gabriele Biancheri (below) and Chris Popov sealed a 2-0 victory.

          Matty Jones’ side had suffered a heavy 7-0 defeat at home to Belgium just a few days earlier but produced the perfect reaction at the Donauparkstadion in Linz to register their first win in Group I.

          Biancheri opened the scoring after 25 minutes as he capitalised on a defensive mistake, and with Austria pushing for an equaliser in the final moments, Cymru caught them on the counter-attack as Popov scored the second goal.

        74. AS IT STANDS

          There are just three fixtures remaining in Group I as Belgium and Denmark continue to challenge for top spot and with it automatic qualification for the UEFA U21 EURO Finals that will take place in Albania and Serbia next summer.

          Austria host Denmark on Friday, 2 October, before the final two games in the group take place on Tuesday, 6 October. The big match between Denmark and Belgium in Velje will be decisive in confirming which nation will top the group.

          Meanwhile, Cymru complete their campaign against Austria at the Oval in Caernarfon. Matty Jones side have taken six points from seven games, but their performance in the 1-0 defeat to Belgium on Tuesday showed just how much this team has progressed over the last year.

          Tickets for the match between Cymru and Austria in Caernarfon can be purchased here

        76. There is no live report available for this match

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