Austria beat Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Linz to top Nations League Group B3

Kalajdzic's late winner

Austria beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz on Saturday, 14 November 2026, and the win gave them top spot in Group B3 with a game to spare. Substitute Sasa Kalajdzic scored the only goal in the 79th minute, poking the ball over the line after Ireland failed to clear a corner. The result returns Austria to League A, the top tier of the Nations League. Ireland finish third in the group, a point behind Kosovo. The Irish Examiner noted that Ireland lost their second game of the campaign to a late goal from a cross, the first being Vedat Muriqi's winner for Kosovo in September.

Chances on both sides

Ireland fielded a front three of Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan, and Parrott forced Alexander Schlager into two saves. Schlager kept out an overhead kick from a Dara O'Shea delivery in the 23rd minute and tipped over a 25-yard strike in the 29th. Idah had a glaring opening on 68 minutes but skewed a rebound high and wide. Late on, Chiedozie Ogbene headed for an equaliser that Schlager kept out. Caoimhín Kelleher made a run of saves that kept Ireland in the contest and was named Player of the Match by RTE. Austria posed their own threat, with Christoph Baumgartner running clean through in the 63rd minute before two Irish defenders closed him down. Austria's high press also stopped Ireland repeating the Idah assist that set up Parrott's goal in the earlier meeting in Dublin.

Hallgrímsson's verdict

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson called the defeat painful and told RTE that his side deserved at least a draw. He said the chances had been there but goals had not come on the night.

“It was painful not to get anything from this match.”

Hallgrímsson said the players had done everything he asked of them.

“Everything that we asked the players to do, they did and I think they gave everything.”

He also pointed to the corner, saying Austria scored from the second or third touch after Ireland could not clear it. He called it the kind of detail that decides games at this level.

What happens next

Ireland play Kosovo at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Tuesday, 17 November 2026, and need a win to move above them into second place. A win would secure second place in the group, a promotion play-off and a move up to pot two for the Euro 2028 qualifying draw. Kosovo drew 0-0 with Israel earlier on the same day, which the Irish Examiner said handed Ireland the initiative. Ireland lost 1-0 in Pristina in September, and the earlier 2-2 draw with Kosovo in Dublin on 1 October left the group open. Hallgrímsson has said the Kosovo game was always the more important of the two fixtures.