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San Siro will host the Austrian pride, Austria Wien, this Thursday for the latest Europa League clash. As the Austrian Bundesliga is not among the most watched leagues in the world, here is your quick guide to who Austria Wien is and what they will bring with them.
The pride of Austria:
Austria Wien is considered among the finest teams in the Austrian Bundesliga. They have won the second-most league titles, 24, since the start of the competition in 1911-12. From the past two seasons they have made appearances in Europe, by finishing the league second and third in 2016/17 and 2015/16 respectively.
Recent trip to Italy:
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Well some might not know that, but yes, Die Veilchen (The Violets) have made an appearance in Italy previously. In the Europa league, they drew AS Roma and visited the Italian capital Rome to face Totti & Co. Albeit, they did lose the tie, but the match was full of entertainment in every respect. They drew 3-3 away from home and lost at home 2-4 with Eden Dzeko’s fine brace too much to handle.
Should we worry?
Well, you know lately it has become a very radical question. But, Austria Wien hasn’t been in their top form either this season. They are sitting 6th in the league table with 15 points deficit from the top in just 15 matches played. For Milan, it is looking like the season is already doomed and Montella’s men doesnt seem to qualify for the UCL by finishing among top 3 in Serie A. However, Milan do sit at the top of the table in EUL group stage and a win over Austrian side will see them qualify for the next round with a match in hand. With Serie A, almost over for us, Montella’s men should spend all the energy on the UEL and try to win the competition.
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On paper, this Milan side is a pretty decent team and should get the job done rather easily, but hey! Its not Maldini’s Milan anymore so you can expect anything from them. I will be optimistic and think Milan should see Austria Wien off by 3-1. We’ll see if that happens on Thursday.