Austria net last-gasp goals to down Israel in League B

[p]Given their respective positions in the FIFA World Rankings, the hosts were strong favourites to register a comfortable victory.[/p][p]They struggled to exert any kind of dominance, though, with the only real chances in the opening exchanges falling to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lienhart-philipp/Y11H2ibh/"]Philipp Lienhart[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gregoritsch-michael/fNPBHb0p/"]Michael Gregoritsch[/a], who both missed the target.[/p][p]It took until the 24th minute for either goalkeeper to be tested, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wimmer-patrick/jsOwmeQB/"]Patrick Wimmer[/a]’s tame effort from an unlikely angle was easily saved at the near post.[/p][image alt="Momentum" id="5f1cee83-fb95-41cc-882a-b550125b9db0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e8963c4b-5a73-48ac-af95-e40ac1daa9bc" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/posch-stefan/nsVWqZE2/"]Stefan Posch[/a] should then have done better with a close-range header that went wide, before the talismanic Gregoritsch, comfortably the top scorer in Ralf Rangnick’s squad with 24 international goals, was forced off through injury.[/p][p]His replacement did not take long to win a penalty, though, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kalajdzic-sasa/8Wq79aVu/"]Sasa Kalajdzic[/a] was about to pull the trigger when he was scythed down in the area by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nachmias-idan/l6qM1cx2/"]Idan Nachmias[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schmid-romano/lGA7E78J/"]Romano Schmid[/a] was on spot-kick duties, and he duly sent goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/daniel-peretz/MVgAbUb4/"]Daniel Peretz[/a] the wrong way with a low effort that put his team 1-0 up. [/b][/p][image alt="Romano Schmid scored from the spot for Austria" id="8943aabc-75fb-4464-ac15-2d94885efdbe" credit-line="REUTERS / Elisabeth Mandl" guid="89f3c802-7a80-4566-b32b-164515c559c9" original-width="6721" original-height="4324" /][p]Posch could then have doubled the lead in first-half injury time, only for Peretz to make a vital save.[/p][p][b]Lienhart missed with another close-range header after the break, and that wayward finishing proved costly as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abu-fani-mohammad/ruqQ6m9f/"]Sayed Abu Farchi[/a] levelled for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/israel/rqK1ypob/"]Israel[/a] with a thunderbolt header that went over the dive of Alexander Schalger and nestled in the back of the net. [/b][/p][p]Joy turned to anguish within moments though, as the Israel forward - booked just minutes earlier for pushing at a corner - was shown a second yellow card after picking up the corner flag during his celebration.[/p][p]That gave the hosts a huge lift, but for a solid save by Peretz down to his right, Kalajdzic would have made it 2-1 with a low strike from outside the area. The towering striker then forced another stop out of the goalkeeper as he met a cross from the left with his head, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wanner-paul/hpGfyeg0/"]Paul Wanner[/a] was also thwarted.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="58407ec1-1e64-4b9f-b93a-65100307a683" credit-line="Flashscore" hidden-attrs="alt, credit" guid="926662ee-e528-4fb3-b865-f4c00bb1bde1" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]A draw looked a certainty until [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mwene-philipp/troQho4L/"]Mwene[/a] met Wanner’s pass at the back post and confidently converted.[/b][/p][p][b]Moments later, with Israel chasing the game, Kalajdzic got the goal his performance deserved to put the icing on the cake and extend [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austria/naHiWdnt/"]Austria[/a]’s unbeaten home record against Israel - relegated back to League B for this campaign - to six games.[/b][/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kalajdzic-sasa/8Wq79aVu/"]Sasa Kalajdzic[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austria/naHiWdnt/"]Austria[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/austria-naHiWdnt/israel-rqK1ypob/?mid=zuNK0qyQ"]Check out the match stats here[/a][/b].[/p]