Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson described their 1-0 loss to Austria in their penultimate Nations League match as a painful outcome. The narrow defeat in Linz, courtesy of a late goal from substitute Sasa Kalajdzic, secured top spot and automatic promotion to League A for Austria.
Missed Opportunities in Linz
Chiedozie Ogbene missed a late opportunity to level the score for the visitors, leaving Hallgrimsson frustrated that his team departed the Raiffeisen Arena without any points despite creating enough chances to win and keep their group title hopes alive. Speaking to RTE, Hallgrimsson called the result painful and stated his belief that his side deserved at least a draw while noting they needed a victory.
The manager added that the squad had the necessary openings and positions to succeed, though goalscoring eluded them on the day. He praised the players for following instructions and giving maximum effort, noting that while they are trying to build for the future, the primary goal remains winning matches.
Focus Shifts to Kosovo Clash
The weekend result places Hallgrimsson’s team third in Group B3, trailing Kosovo by a single point ahead of their final group fixture in Dublin on Tuesday. The manager pointed out that failure to clear the corner kick led to Kalajdzic’s decisive strike, emphasizing that matches at this level are decided by small margins and require constant concentration.
Securing a second group victory against Kosovo would guarantee a second-place finish, a promotion play-off spot, and a place in pot two for the Euro 2028 qualifying draw next month. Having previously lost 1-0 in Pristina in September, the Irish squad aims for a strong finish on home soil.
Hallgrimsson noted that the Kosovo fixture was always viewed as the more significant match, though they came close to claiming victory against Austria before losing out to fine margins.
