How they got there:No problems for the Austrians- they qualify directly as hosts.
Coach- Jozef Hickersberger: He led his country from 1987 to 1990 (until the infamous 1-0 defeat to the Faroe Islands), but in his second spell he has come in for criticism after some poor friendly results in the build-up to the competition. Places the emphasis very heavily on youth.
Star player- Andreas Ivanschitz: Captain and Austria's answer to David Beckham, and like the England man he divides opinion. However, the Panathinaikos star is undoubtedly the best player Austria has produced for a decade.
Tactics:Hickersberger favours 4-4-2, though he may use a more conservative 4-5-1 if he decides damage limitation is the order of the day.
Strengths:Despite home advantage expectation levels are low - there has even been a nationwide petition to withdraw the team from hosting the event - so the Austrians have nothing to lose.
Weaknesses:Lack of quality in all areas and indifferent results in two years of friendlies must have dented confidence. They have lacked a prolific striker since the days of Toni Polster in the 1980s and 1990s.
Verdict:A first-round exit for the co-hosts, though they won't embarrass themselves as much as some fans fear.
If they were a band they would be: Basement Jaxx
Helpful translation- "Dies heißt nichts zu mir - oh Wien." is "This means nothing to me - oh, Vienna."
