Norway vs. Austria 9/4/20 UEFA Nations League Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Norway is hosting Austria at Ullevaal Stadion in round 1 in the UEFA Nations League.

Norway was doing well in the Euro Cup qualifications, but unfortunately for them, they fell short. Norway has ended in 3rd place with 17 points, 4 points less than Sweden in second place. Norway was solid on both ends with 19 scored goals and 11 conceded goals, but Sweden and Spain were better. In their last match against Malta on the road, Norway was the better team with 69% of ball possession, 5 shots on goal, 10 corner kicks, 4 big chances created, and a solid 88% of the correct passes. Norway is in 44th place in the FIFA standings, but they are constantly improving, and I see Norway getting a lot higher. Lars Lagerback is the Swedish expert at Norway’s helm, and he is doing a good job. During his time, Norway has 15 wins, 8 draws, and 6 losses. With the best young striker in the world, Haaland, Odegaard in the midfield, and Ajer in the defensive line, Norway has a good base for the future, and I believe they will qualify for the next Euro Cup.

Austria hasn’t started the Euro Cup qualifications well, with 2 losses, but after that Austria went on a 7-game streak without a loss, and they finished the qualifications in second place with 19 points, 19 scored goals, and 9 conceded goals. Austria lost their last match against Latvia, but it didn’t matter at that point. Austria has had a massive 76% of ball possession, 3 shots on goal, 8 corner kicks, and 82% of the correct passes. Austria has lost this match 1-0. There are some good players like Sabitzer, Onisiwo, Grbic, and Baumgartner in the Austrian roster, but they will really miss Bayern’s star Alaba. Austria will be playing in Group C in the Euro Cup with Netherlands, Ukraine, while the fourth team is yet to be determined. Franco Foda has been coaching the Austrian national team for the last 3 years, and he is doing well, and the team is constantly improving. Austria doesn’t have many big names in their team, but they are in 26th place in the FIFA standings, and they could pose a big threat to some of the stronger teams in the Euro Cup next year. Austria was playing solid soccer before the pandemic, and I hope they continue to do so.

The trends are on Austria’s side in this matchup, but in this game, I’m interested only in goals. With Haaland in the lineup, every team in the world is in danger of conceding many goals, and Austria isn’t the exception. Norway’s defense isn’t the best, and Austria will certainly get their chance to score, let’s just hope they will know how to use them. I will pick something on goals here.