The Republic of Ireland had 78 minutes of a tidy, disciplined away performance in Linz on Saturday, and then the same problem that has followed them through this Nations League campaign showed up again. Saša Kalajdžić poked in a loose ball after a corner, Austria won 1-0 and clinched promotion to League A, and Heimir Hallgrímsson's side now head into Tuesday's final group game against Kosovo in Dublin needing a win, while Kosovo only need a draw.
Four games, four leaks
Saturday's goal was not a one-off. Ireland lost to a late goal away to Kosovo in their opening game, let a 2-0 lead slip in the second half at home to Austria and conceded an equalizer to Israel in the game played in Serbia, as The42 noted in its report from Linz. Add the 78th-minute winner at the Raiffeisen Arena and Ireland have given up points to goals conceded from level or winning positions in four of their five group games.
That is the gap between where they are and where they could be. Ireland finish the weekend third in Group B3, one point behind Kosovo. Austria, who are unbeaten under Ralf Rangnick, are five points clear of Kosovo and already promoted.
How the winner happened
The goal came from a set piece Ireland touched first. Dara O'Shea could only head Romano Schmid's corner toward the back post, Michael Gregoritsch nodded it back across the six-yard box, and Kalajdžić, who plays his club football for LASK at the same stadium, beat James Abankwah to it from about a yard out. Rangnick had sent him on in the 60th minute.
Until then, Ireland had matched their hosts. Caoimhín Kelleher made early saves from Christoph Baumgartner and Christoph Lang and later tipped over a Gregoritsch volley. At the other end, Troy Parrott forced Alexander Schlager into a save with an overhead kick, and Ryan Manning was denied by Schlager's outstretched boot in the 65th minute. After the goal, substitute Chiedozie Ogbene had a close-range header saved and Nathan Collins saw a looping header tipped over.
"It was painful not to get anything from this match. I think we deserved at least a draw, but we needed the win for this game to count," Hallgrímsson told RTÉ. "They have a corner that they score from on the second or third touch. That's the game at this level. You need to be switched on and focused every second of the game."
What Tuesday is worth
The math in Dublin is simple. A win over Kosovo lifts Ireland into second place, which brings a promotion play-off for a shot at League A and a move into pot two for next month's Euro 2028 qualifying draw. A draw or a defeat leaves Kosovo in second and Ireland in third.
Kosovo arrive after failing to score against Israel in Pristina, so goals have not come easily for them either. For Ireland, though, the question is less about scoring than about the last 15 minutes. If they protect a lead at the Aviva Stadium for once, they reach the play-off. If the pattern holds again, it costs them second place.
