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Preview: Iceland v Austria

Finals debutants Iceland will be through to the round of 16 with a win but Austria are not out of it yet and Marcel Koller is backing his side to find their form when it matters.

Preview: Iceland v Austria
Preview: Iceland v Austria ©Getty Images
  • Debutants Iceland are targeting thier first win against Austria
  • Victory would send Iceland through; Austria must win to have chance
  • The teams drew 1-1 in an Innsbruck friendly in May 2014
  • Austria played in Saint-Denis at the 1998 World Cup, losing 2-1 to Italy
  • Marc Janko expected to start in attack for Austria with David Alaba dropping deeper

Possible line-ups
Iceland: Halldorsson; Sævarsson, R Sigurdsson, Arnason, Skulason; Gudmundsson, Gunnarsson, G Sigurdsson, B Bjarnason; Sigthorsson, Bödvarsson.
Out: Finnbogason (suspended)
Doubtful: Gunnarsson (unknown)
Misses next match if booked: Bjarnason, Gudmundsson, Sævarsson

Austria: Almer; Klein, Prödl, Dragović, Fuchs; Baumgartlinger, Alaba; Harnik, Schöpf, Arnautović; Janko.
Doubtful: Junuzović (ankle)
Misses next match if booked: Fuchs, Harnik, Hinteregger, Schöpf

Coach quotes
Heimir Hallgrímsson, Iceland joint-coach
We have two points and are in a great position. Our fate is in our own hands and a win would guarantee us a place in the knockout stage. If you had offered us this situation to us prior to the tournament, we would have gladly taken it. We are thinking positively and feeling confident. We're going to win against Austria and progress.  

Lars Lagerbäck, Iceland joint-coach
I feel pretty confident. I expect the players to take a step up; we have to improve in attack, but otherwise I think they have handled the games absolutely top-class. We go into every game to try to win it. That will be the general approach but we also need to ensure we don't make any silly mistakes.

Marcel Koller, Austria
It will be an intense game; both teams need a win. We will need to battle against Iceland; that's their speciality. They're compact, they have real desire, but they can also play football.

We just need to score. It doesn't matter how it goes over the line – all that matters is that it does. Austria have never got beyond this stage. It would be a success for the country, for the team and also for the backroom staff, who have also been working incredibly hard.

UEFA.com team reporters
Johann Sigurdsson, Iceland (@UEFAcomJohannS)
This is surely the biggest game in Iceland's history. Victory will take them through, perhaps even as group winners, and  – who knows? – a point might also be enough. There is an overwhelmingly positive mood in the camp, Hallgrímsson admitting the team would have taken this position before the tournament given the chance. Can they really pull it off?

Daniel Thacker, Austria (@UEFAcomDanielT)
After their dramatic draw against Portugal on Saturday, Austria approach this encounter in bullish mood. A win should take Koller's side through, although for that to happen Austria will need to find the net for the first time this tournament. To that end, Marc Janko is likely to return up front, with David Alaba expected to drop back into holding midfield.

Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Iceland: DDWLWLLLWL
Austria
: DLLWLWLWWW

Did you know?
Austria played in Saint-Denis at the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, losing 2-1 to Italy on 23 June – a defeat which spelled elimination for Herbert Prohaska's side. Find out more in our extensive match background.

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