Austria opened their UEFA Nations League B campaign with a 3-1 win over Israel at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz on 24 September 2026, sealing the result with two late goals after Israel were reduced to ten players.
Match facts
- Result: Austria 3-1 Israel (half-time 1-0)
- Competition: UEFA Nations League B, Group 3, Matchday 1
- Venue: Raiffeisen Arena, Linz
- Scorers: Austria - Schmid 43' (pen), Mwene 90', Kalajdžić 90+3'; Israel - Abu Farchi 55'
- Red cards: Abu Farchi (Israel) 56', second yellow
- Next: Austria v Kosovo, Sunday 27 September; Israel v Republic of Ireland
Schmid penalty, then drama after the equaliser
Romano Schmid put Austria ahead from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute. Israel levelled early in the second half when Saied Abu Farchi headed home in the 55th minute at the Raiffeisen Arena.
Abu Farchi, who had been booked four minutes earlier, celebrated by grabbing a corner flag and mimicking a gun-firing gesture. The referee issued a second yellow card and a red, leaving Israel with ten men for the rest of the match. Reuters reported the sending-off as a direct response to that celebration.
Late Mwene and Kalajdžić finish
Austria pressed the advantage late on. Phillipp Mwene restored the lead in the 90th minute after a cross from Paul Wanner, and Saša Kalajdžić added a close-range third in stoppage time to make it 3-1.
The win gives Austria three points from their League B Group 3 opener. On the same matchday in the same group, Kosovo beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Pristina.
What happens next
Austria continue their Nations League programme in Group 3. Israel are next scheduled to face the Republic of Ireland. Any further UEFA disciplinary action beyond the on-field red card would need a separate governing-body notice; none had been published that BetAlert could verify at the time of writing.