Match ends, Austria 1, Northern Ireland 0.
Northern Ireland's Nations League hopes suffered a major setback as Marko Arnautovic's second-half goal condemned them to a 1-0 defeat in Austria.
Arnautovic ran in behind right-back Paddy McNair and coolly slipped the ball past Bailey Peacock-Farrell for the only goal in Vienna.
McNair and skipper Steven Davis had chances for the visitors, while Will Grigg's late header hit a post.
NI lost their opening Group B3 game 2-1 to Bosnia-Herzegovina in September.
Northern Ireland are bottom of the table without a point and in danger of relegation to the third-tier Group C with games against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Monday and Austria in Belfast in November to come.
Austria are three points behind leaders Bosnia-Herzegovina, to whom they lost in their first fixture in the competition last month.
- NI deserved at least a draw - O'Neill
- Re-live all the action from Austria v NI in Vienna as it happened
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The inaugural Nations League offers countries a potential backdoor route to the Euro 2020 finals if they fail to finish in the top two of their qualifying groups for the tournament.
This match was NI's sixth of 2018 as they continue their build-up to that qualification campaign, which runs from March to November next year, with the draw to take place on 2 December.
Contrast in recent form
Austria secured their fourth win in 10 meetings between the sides 13 years to the day since the countries last met, the hosts running out 2-0 winners in Vienna on that occasion.
Michael O'Neill's side have now won only two of their last 10 matches and have failed to score in eight of their last 10 away games, including the last five in a row.
In contrast, Franco Foda's Austria - four places above their opponents in the Fifa rankings - have taken victories in nine of their most recent 11 matches.
'Forward thinking'
The build-up to the game was dominated by the late withdrawal from the squad of Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty, who ruled himself out on Sunday night, citing an Achilles injury.
Bolton Wanderers forward Josh Magennis was handed a lone central role up front as O'Neill opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with Millwall's Shane Ferguson given a first competitive start in almost two years.
Ferguson headed over from Oliver Norwood's cross from the right during a scrappy uneventful first half, while after the break McNair's left-foot strike was palmed away by Heinz Lindner.
Davis was unable to add to his prolific scoring record during October internationals - seven of his 11 to date have come during this month - when he skewed a shot wide of the target after Stuart Dallas headed into his path.
Rotherham striker Kyle Vassell won his first cap after being called into the squad for the first time, being introduced as a second-half substitute.
It was another replacement off the bench, Grigg, who went agonisingly close to equalising late in the game when his header from a corner cannoned off the inside of a post.
Wigan frontman Grigg later sustained a hamstring injury which is set to rule him out of the clash with Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Peacock-Farrell impresses
Goalkeeper Peacock-Farrell was restored to the starting line-up, having been handed a starting berth against Bosnia-Herzegovina but dropped to the bench for the friendly win over Israel three days later.
The Leeds United player conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position in the first half when he picked up a back-pass from Craig Cathcart, but made two fine saves at the start of the second.
First he tipped West Ham striker Arnautovic's low right-foot shot round the post and he was down quickly to deny Stefan Ilsanker a few minutes later.
The 21-year-old could do nothing, however, as Arnautovic finished clinically after being played onside by Jamal Lewis.
Austria, who were without injured Bayern Munich wing-back David Alaba for this fixture, face Denmark in a friendly on Tuesday.
Line-ups
Austria
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Lindner
- 20Lainer
- 15Prödl
- 4Hinteregger
- 2Ulmer
- 22LazaroSubstituted forDragovicat 90+1'minutes
- 6Ilsanker
- 16Zulj
- 9SabitzerSubstituted forSchöpfat 75'minutes
- 19BurgstallerSubstituted forKainzat 83'minutes
- 7Arnautovic
Substitutes
- 3Dragovic
- 5Wimmer
- 8Wöber
- 10Schaub
- 11Laimer
- 12Strebinger
- 13Stankovic
- 14Hierländer
- 17Kainz
- 18Schöpf
- 21Janko
- 23Schlager
Northern Ireland
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Peacock-FarrellBooked at 17mins
- 17McNair
- 20Cathcart
- 5Evans
- 3Lewis
- 8Davis
- 16NorwoodBooked at 73mins
- 6SavilleSubstituted forVassellat 77'minutes
- 14Dallas
- 21MagennisSubstituted forGriggat 79'minutes
- 11FergusonSubstituted forEvansat 56'minutes
Substitutes
- 2McLaughlin
- 4Smith
- 7Whyte
- 9Grigg
- 10Boyce
- 12Carson
- 13Evans
- 15Jones
- 18Hughes
- 19Vassell
- 22Flanagan
- 23McGovern
- Referee:
- Georgi Kabakov
- Attendance:
- 22,300
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home60%
- Away40%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away1
- Corners
- Home7
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Austria 1, Northern Ireland 0.
Post update
Offside, Northern Ireland. Bailey Peacock-Farrell tries a through ball, but Kyle Vassell is caught offside.
Post update
Offside, Austria. Peter Zulj tries a through ball, but Marko Arnautovic is caught offside.
Post update
Marko Arnautovic (Austria) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Jonny Evans (Northern Ireland).
Post update
Hand ball by Kyle Vassell (Northern Ireland).
Substitution
Substitution, Austria. Aleksandar Dragovic replaces Valentino Lazaro.
Post update
Peter Zulj (Austria) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Oliver Norwood (Northern Ireland).
Post update
Offside, Austria. Heinz Lindner tries a through ball, but Marko Arnautovic is caught offside.
Post update
Offside, Northern Ireland. Stuart Dallas tries a through ball, but Jonny Evans is caught offside.
Post update
Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Stefan Ilsanker.
Post update
William Grigg (Northern Ireland) hits the right post with a header from the left side of the six yard box. Assisted by Paddy McNair with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Valentino Lazaro.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Stuart Dallas (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by William Grigg.
Substitution
Substitution, Austria. Florian Kainz replaces Guido Burgstaller.
Post update
Attempt missed. Steven Davis (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Corry Evans.
Post update
Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Stefan Lainer.
Substitution
Substitution, Northern Ireland. William Grigg replaces Josh Magennis.
Comments
Join the conversation
Just in from pub, we played well but didn't take our chances. Not much more to be said really.
As if we need more international football
Soon it will be an international every week
UEFA doing their bit to speed up global warming
Your comment is pointless.
How ironic.
He skives off, probably at Rangers request.
someone like Rashford
Oh wait !!!!
In all seriousness, it looks like MON is trying to put together another team, but it must be hard, when quite a few of his players, aren't even playing for their clubs. Just watched the HL's on TV as it seems all live football is gone from terrestrial TV.
NI had 1 shot on target - deserved to lose
Scotland had 2 shots on target - deserved to lose
England had 2 shots on target - "we should have won"!
O'Neill allowed Lafferty to become an unneeded distraction. He should have dropped him ages ago. The team's better off without the eejit. 4th rate has been failed effort of a striker.
I'll tell you all this much now, they won't qualify for Euro20 or WC22 and unless some better players emerge amongst the influx of foreign players, Northern Ireland won't qualify for Euro24 or WC26 either.
They are the San Marino of British football.