Austria and Cyprus return to action in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers when they lock horns at Raiffeisen Arena on Saturday. This will be the first meeting between the two nations since February 2005, when they played out a 1-1 stalemate in the Cyprus Tournament.
Austria made it two wins from two in their push for a place in the World Cup last time out when they picked up a 4-0 victory over San Marino at the San Marino Stadium.
Before that, Ralf Rangnick’s men fell to a 3-1 aggregate defeat against Serbia in the UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoffs in March before claiming a 2-1 win over Romania in the first game of the World Cup qualifiers on June 7.
Austria have picked up six points from a possible six to sit second in the Group H standings, three points behind first-placed Bosnia and Herzegovina, albeit with one game in hand.
Cyprus, on the other hand, were condemned to back-to-back defeats in the qualifiers last time out when they were beaten 2-0 by Romania at the National Arena on June 10.
Akis Mantzios’ men kicked off their quest for a first-ever World Cup appearance with a 2-0 victory over San Marino on March 21, three days before crashing down to earth in a 2-1 loss against Bosnia.
With three points from the first three matches, Cyprus are currently fourth in the Group H standings, only above rock-bottom San Marino, who have lost each of their four games.
Austria vs Cyprus Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- Austria have been imperious in the history of this fixture, having picked up six wins and one draw from the previous seven meetings between the two nations.
- Austria are unbeaten in seven of their last eight matches across all competitions, picking up five wins and two draws since October 2024.
- Cyprus have failed to win their last five away games in all competitions, losing four and claiming one draw since a 1-0 victory over Lithuania in September 2024.
- Austria are on a run of five consecutive home matches without defeat, picking up three wins and two draws since a 3-2 defeat against Belgium in October 2023.
Austria vs Cyprus Prediction
Meetings between Austria and Cyprus have often served up fireworks in the past and we anticipate another action-packed contest at Raiffeisen Arena this weekend.
Given the gulf in class and quality between the two nations, we are backing Rangnick’s men to come away with all three points unscathed.
Prediction: Austria 3-1 Cyprus
Austria vs Cyprus Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – Austria to win
Tip 2: First to score – Austria (The hosts have opened the scoring in seven of their last eight matches)
Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards – No (There have also been fewer than five bookings in eight of Austria’s last nine games)
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Edited by Peter P
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