Date, kick-off time, TV channel, free live stream and team news for the World Cup playoff

WALES take on Austria to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958.

the Dragons finished second behind Belgium by a wide margin in their qualifying group but got a nice draw which sees them two home games ahead to join Qatar.

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Should they beat the Austrians, they meets Scotland or Ukraine in the playoff final in Cardif.

However, this match will now only take place in June after the venue postponed because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Austria finished fourth in their qualifying group behind Denmark, Scotland and Israel.

But they qualified for the play-offs by being one of the top two group winners in the Nations League who had not previously made it to the World Cup or the play-offs.

When does Wales play Austria?

• Wales vs Austria takes place on Thursday 24 March.
• The match starts at 19:45 UK time – 20:45 in Austria.
• It takes place at the Cardiff City Stadium.
• The sides last met in 2017 when Ben Woodburn scored the only goal in Wales’ 1-0 win in 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

What TV channel is Wales vs Austria playing on and can I stream it live?

Wales vs Austria is live on Sky Sports Main Event.

Coverage begins at 7pm – 45 minutes before kick-off.

To stream the game live, go to Sky Go or Now TV.

To watch in Welsh go to S4C.

Can I watch Wales vs Austria for free?

Yes. S4C is free for all UK viewers.

To stream it live, go to BBC iPlayer.

Team News

Wales

Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey have both been included in the Wales squad for the game against Austria.

However, goaltenders Danny Ward, Tyler Roberts and James Lawrence are all out.

Manager Rob Page said of the inclusion of Bale and Ramsey: “They are big players for us, obviously they are. We want them to play games when they come to camp but the good thing is that they are fit.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of players, especially these two, and they’re both excited about it.

“Both can’t wait to get to camp so that’s really encouraging for a manager to hear.

“You’ve done it over and over again, haven’t you? I don’t think we’ve ever had a camp where all of our players played the weekend before.

“But big players show up for big games and they’ve proven that over time. The other view is that they will be fresh and energetic.”

Back-up goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will reach one hundred caps in Wales when he plays Austria and Wales’ friendly next week.

And Page said: “I can’t say enough about him [Hennessey]I honestly can’t.

“He’s responded so positively since I gave Danny first place. The way he reacted was great and he fully supported Wardy.

“If you watch him in training, some of his saves are outstanding and if you can do that, you’re ready.

“To have a number two like Wayne, who has been number one for a long time and is approaching 100 caps, gives me confidence.”

Austria

Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid team-mate David Alaba is expected to captain the Austria side.

Former West Ham bad boy Marko Arnautovic is also in the squad alongside Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

Austria coach Frank Foda asked his team to use the ball and not to be hit on the counterattack.

He said: “You could see in the World Cup qualifiers that they [Wales] are very strong, after all they haven’t lost a game at home.

“In general, they concede few goals and are good at switching. We’ll have a lot of possession, we can’t afford to make any mistakes when passing and we have to avoid counterattacks.

He added: “Games like this are often decided in the mind. We have to be convinced of our own qualities and show a good mentality in duels.”

Wales squad

Goalkeeper: Hennessey, A Davies, King

Defender: B. Davies, Rodon, Cabango, Ampadu, Mepham, N. Williams, Norrington-Davies, Roberts, Gunter

Midfield player: Levitt, Ramsey, Colwill, Morrell, Vaulks, Allen, Wilson, Williams, S. Thomas, Ilsanker

Forward: Bale, Johnson, Harris, James, Matondo

Squad Austria

Goalkeeper: Bachmann, Lindner, Pentz

Defender: Alaba, Dragovic, Hinteregger, Lainer, Posch, Ulmer, Danso

Midfield player: Baumgartner, Grull, Laimer, Lazaro, Sabitzer, Schaub, Schlager, Seiwalk, Schopf

Forward: Arnautovic, Gregoritsch, Kalajdzic, Weimann

Latest Odds

Win in 90 minutes

Wales 13/8

Tie 15/8

Austria 15/8

To qualify

Wales 20/23

Austria 9/10

* Odds of bet fair right from sunday 20