Germany v Austria predictions: Nationalelf set for gritty quarter-final

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Germany v Austria in the quarter-final of the Women's Euros on Thursday.

Where to watch

BBC One & BBC iPlayer, 8pm Thursday

Best bet

Germany to win & under 3.5 goals
1pt 21-20 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes

Preview

Five nations were ahead of Germany in the outright betting at the start of Women's Euro 2022 but the eight-time champions sent out a statement of intent with their domination of Group B.

Die Nationalelf won all three of their group contests against Denmark, Spain and Finland, scoring nine times and keeping clean sheets in all of those wins, and are now considered among the frontrunners for the title.

Head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has previously come under fire for not knowing her best team but Germany's depth has actually been one of their biggest strengths in this tournament and they can advance from their quarter-final encounter with Austria in Brentford.

But both sets of players should know each other well with the majority plying their trade in the Frauen-Bundesliga and it could be a closer contest than the odds suggest.

Austria made the semi-finals of the last Euros on their tournament debut and have again exceeded expectations, pipping Norway to second spot in Group A.

The Austrians restricted free-scoring England to a 1-0 win in the tournament's curtain-raiser at Old Trafford and have enjoyed wins in four of their last five matches.

Defensive resilience has been key to Irene Fuhrmann's side with their rearguard featuring former Arsenal talent Viktoria Schnaderbeck - who is hoping to overcome a knee injury - and Tottenham's Laura Wienroither, while Women's Super League shot-stopper Manuela Zinsberger has been reliable between the sticks.

Beth Mead's strike for England in the tournament opener in Manchester was the only goal Austria have conceded in their last five matches and, although Germany's class should shine through, Voss-Tecklenburg's team may have to settle for a narrow victory.

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