Katharina Naschenweng's 54th-minute goal gave Lars Söndergaard a winning debut as Austria beat Slovenia 1-0 in World Cup qualifying at Sportclub-Platz, Vienna. Both sides hit the woodwork twice.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
A scoreless first half offered chances at both ends but no breakthrough. Chiara D'Angelo fired two early efforts for Austria inside the opening five minutes, while Slovenia's Zara Kramzar forced Mariella El Sherif into a sharp foot save from a tight angle in the 12th minute. Eileen Campbell struck the post for Austria in the 42nd minute, the first of four aluminium hits on the night.
Naschenweng broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. Julia Hickelsberger-Füller met a Chiara D'Angelo cross with a volley that Slovenia goalkeeper Zala Mersnik saved, but Naschenweng followed up from close range to score her first goal of the qualifying campaign.
Austria came close to a second when Naschenweng hit the crossbar with a left-footed strike from distance in the 72nd minute. Slovenia pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages — El Sherif saved well from Zala Kustrin (81st) and denied Zara Kramzar's header (88th) — but their best chance came in stoppage time when Izabela Krizaj's lobbed effort crashed off the crossbar.
The turning point
Naschenweng's 54th-minute rebound goal — her first in qualifying — rewarded Austria's persistent pressure and gave Söndergaard's side something to protect. The introduction of Barbara Dunst for Sophie Hillebrand at the same time as Slovenia made three changes (68th minute) shifted the balance. Austria dropped into a deeper block, and while Slovenia generated chances, El Sherif's goalline kept the clean sheet intact.
Key performers
Katharina Naschenweng (Austria) — The Bayern Munich midfielder scored the winner, hit the crossbar with a second-half strike, and was the game's decisive attacking presence. Named player of the match.
Mariella El Sherif (Austria) — The Austrian goalkeeper kept a crucial clean sheet on Söndergaard's debut, making four saves including a point-blank stop from Kustrin and staying alert to claim crosses during Slovenia's late pressure.
Zala Mersnik (Slovenia) — Kept Slovenia in the match with several saves, notably denying Hickelsberger-Füller's volley moments before Naschenweng scored the rebound.
By the numbers
Austria's victory came despite both sides striking the woodwork twice. Austria hit the post through Campbell (42nd) and the bar through Naschenweng (72nd); Slovenia's bar came from Krizaj deep into added time (90+4th). The three yellow cards (Agrež 43', Schasching 64', Testen 76') reflected a competitive but not ill-tempered contest. Austria made three substitutions, Slovenia four, as both sides sought fresh legs in the second half.
What it means
Austria climbed to third in Group A4 on five points after five matchdays — three behind second-placed Norway and eight behind group leaders Germany, who secured the automatic World Cup spot by beating Norway 2-0 on the same night. Both second and third place advance to the play-offs, with third-place teams entering at an earlier round. The play-off draw was scheduled for 18 June.
Austria next faced Norway away on 9 June, with the chance to close the gap on second place. Slovenia, bottom of the group on two points, realistically needed to win their remaining fixtures to keep play-off hopes alive.
Verdict
A winning start for Söndergaard — by the narrowest of margins and with a dose of luck from the woodwork — but exactly what Austria needed after an 0-1 defeat to Norway in their previous qualifier. The performance showed attacking intent (Campbell's post, Naschenweng's bar) and defensive resilience, giving the new coach a platform to build on.
Match Events
Key match events between Austria W and Slovenia W — 1 goal and 3 cards recorded during the match.
Rivalry since 2024
Austria W vs Slovenia W Head to Head Results· 3
Austria W and Slovenia W have met 3 times — Austria W won 2, Slovenia W won 1, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2024. Austria W leads the head-to-head with 2 victories from 3 meetings. A combined 7 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 2.33 per match (5 for the home side, 2 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 1 match (33%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 2 games (67%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 2–1 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 3 Jul 2026