Israel Falls to Austria in Nations League Opener After Late Collapse

The Israeli national football team began its 2026/27 Nations League campaign with a disappointing 3-1 loss to Austria in Linz. Despite playing with ten men for over half an hour, Israel managed to hold their own for much of the match, but conceded two late goals in stoppage time.

Israel faced its toughest opponent on paper in the opening match, playing away against the strongest team in their group. While Austria dominated the initial ten minutes, Israel gradually found its footing, with notable performances from Oscar Gloukh, Manor Solomon, and Anan Khalaili. Austria took the lead in the 43rd minute via a penalty converted by Romano Schmid after a foul by Israel's Idan Nachmias.

Ten minutes into the second half, Israel equalized through Sayed Abu Farhi, who scored his first goal for the senior team on his first start. However, Abu Farhi was sent off shortly after for a second yellow card, received for celebrating by removing a corner flag and mimicking a shooting gesture. This reduced Israel to ten players for the remainder of the game.

With a numerical advantage, Austria pressed hard, while Israel focused on defense. Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick brought on attacking players, and Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and his defense were under immense pressure. The breakthrough came in the 90th minute when Christoph Baumgartner scored, followed by a third goal for Austria from Sasa Kalajdzic in the 93rd minute, sealing the victory.

Israel's remaining fixtures in this international window are against Kosovo and Ireland. The team is currently at the bottom of Group B3 with zero points, alongside Ireland, while Austria and Kosovo lead with three points each.