Israel Soccer Coach Bets on Attacking Midfield Against Austria

The Israeli national soccer team will face Austria on Thursday with a midfield lineup featuring Eliel Peretz, Dor Peretz, and Oscar Gloukh, a tactical choice by coach Ran Ben Shimon that leaves the team without a natural defensive midfielder. Eliel Peretz, typically an attacking midfielder, has rarely played a holding role, with only a few instances in his career. Dor Peretz, the Israeli Premier League's top scorer, has also primarily played in attacking positions in recent years, though he has experience in deeper roles earlier in his career.

Austria's expected midfield trio includes Nicolas Seiwald of Leipzig, Xaver Schlager of Nottingham Forest, and Romano Schmid of Frosinone. Seiwald is highly regarded in the Bundesliga as a defensive midfielder, while Schlager recently moved to the English Premier League and Schmid has been a key contributor for Frosinone. Ben Shimon's decision to deploy an attacking midfield against these players raises questions about whether Israel's ball-moving capabilities will be sufficient against the Austrian team, which recently participated in the World Cup.

The Israeli starting lineup is set to be: Daniel Peretz, Guy Mizrahi, Nikita Stoyanov, Idan Nachmias, Roy Revivo, Eliel Peretz, Dor Peretz, Oscar Gloukh, Manor Solomon, Anan Khalaili, and Said Abu Farhi.