Austria 5-1 Malta
UEFA EURO 2008™ co-hosts Austria gave their confidence a major boost as they secured their first win since November in their last pre-finals friendly.
Wait over
Austria coach Josef Hickersberger made five changes to the side that faced Nigeria on Tuesday, with Alex Manninger between the goalposts and Ronald Gercaliu, Christoph Leitgeb, Ümit Korkmaz and Erwin Hoffer all given starts further forward. And although it was only 2-1 at half-time, Austria streaked away in the second period to end a six-game wait for a victory and go into the 8 June Group B opener against Croatia in Vienna on a high.
Early goals
It soon became clear the hosts were on a mission to rack up goals and with just eight minutes gone they collected their first, René Aufhauser heading in from a set-piece. Barely three minutes later, Roland Linz doubled the lead after some nice work from Hoffer.
Malta respone
Austria kept up the pressure despite their advantage and squandered numerous good chances to register their third. In fact, it was Malta who scored next when Michael Mifsud latched on to a through-pass with four minutes remaining in the half and gave his team a lifeline against the run of play.
Crucial win
The same player then came close to equalising three minutes after the break, but the game was finally taken behind the visitors when Martin Harnik was fouled in the area during a counterattack. Linz converted from the spot on 67 minutes and ten minutes later Ivica Vastic profited from a lapse in Malta's defence to make it 4-1, before Harnik added a fifth in the final minute.
Austria: Manninger, Garics, Stranzl (Prödl 84), Pogatetz (Hiden 84), Gercaliu (Katzer 76), Ivanschitz, Aufhauser (Säumel 76), Leitgeb, Korkmaz (Harnik 46), Linz, Hoffer (Vastic 58).
Malta: Hogg (Haber 46), Caruana (Frendo 46), Said, Dimech, S.Bajada, Briffa, Pace (Mallia 86), M. Mifsud (Barbara 64), Agius, Nwoko (Fenech 46), Schembri (Azzopardi 72).
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