Late goal gives Romania 1-0 victory over Austria in World Cup qualifier

Romania defeated Austria 1-0 on Sunday night, October 12, at Bucharest’s National Arena in the Group H match of the European qualifiers for the World Cup, with the decisive goal coming in stoppage time. The win keeps Romania’s hopes of qualification alive as they moved up to third place in the group with 10 points.

Romania, coached by veteran Mircea Lucescu, started confidently and created early chances. In the seventh minute, Dennis Man broke down the right and set up Valentin Mihăilă, whose acrobatic volley went just wide, News.ro reported. Ianis Hagi later found Andrei Raţiu in the 15th minute, but the defender’s shot narrowly missed the right post.

Austria struggled to threaten Mircea Lucescu’s side, and in the 42nd minute, Romania appealed for a penalty after the ball struck Romano Schmid’s hand in the box, but Italian referee Davide Massa waved play on.

Austria came close after the break, when goalkeeper Ionuţ Radu made a crucial save from Marcel Sabitzer’s shot in the 49th minute. Romania responded as Mihăilă hit the post with a long-range effort in the 60th minute, and minutes later, Raţiu forced Austrian keeper Alexander Schlager into a save following a defensive error.

The breakthrough came deep into added time. In the 90+5 minute, Man’s persistence on the right led to a cross from captain Ianis Hagi, who found defender Virgil Ghiţă unmarked in the box. Ghiţă’s header sealed a dramatic win for Romania, sending the home crowd into celebration.

With this result, Austria remain top of Group H with 15 points, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina with 13, while Romania climb back to third on 10 points.

Coach Mircea Lucescu praised his team’s discipline and composure but stressed that the victory must be followed by strong performances in the final two matches.

“It’s what I’ve asked from the beginning - to move from emotional play to rational play. Tonight, intelligence won,” Lucescu said after the match, as quoted by News.ro.

The group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while the second-placed sides and top-ranked Nations League group winners will fight for the remaining European slots through playoffs.

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