Wales v Austria live stream, Thursday 24 March, 7.45pm GMT
Wales and Austria will go head-to-head on Thursday for a place in the final of the World Cup qualification play-offs.
Wales are two wins away from qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958 and only their second overall. Rob Page’s side edged out Czech Republic in the battle for a top-two finish in Group E, with Belgium qualifying comfortably in first place. A 1-1 draw with the Red Devils in their final encounter proved decisive, with Wales finishing just a point clear of the Czechs in second.
This looks like an evenly matched tie, but Wales will hope that home advantage plays into their hands. Austria should not be underestimated, though. Like their upcoming opponents, they reached the last 16 of Euro 2020 last summer, and gave Italy a major scare at Wembley.
Austria qualified for the play-offs despite finishing fourth in Group F, behind Denmark, Scotland and Israel. A strong Nations League showing – Austria won their group in 2020/21 – gave Franco Foda’s side a second chance at making it to Qatar.
Gareth Bale was not included in the Real Madrid squad for Sunday’s defeat by Barcelona, with Carlo Ancelotti claiming afterwards that the forward was ill. Whether or not that is accurate, Page will hope to have his star player available to start on Thursday, although his and Aaron Ramsey’s lack of minutes this season is cause for concern.
Danny Ward will miss out through injury, so Wayne Hennessey looks set to get the nod between the sticks. James Lawrence, Kieffer Moore and Tyler Roberts are also unavailable for selection.
Austria will be unable to call upon the services of Julian Baumgartlinger, Christopher Trimmel, Alexander Schlager, Philipp Lienhart, Florian Grillitsch and Dejan Ljubicicau. Andreas Weimann has been included in the squad for the first time in seven years.
Kick-off is at 7.45pm GMT on Thursday 24 March, and UK viewers can watch it on Sky Sports Main Event. See below for international broadcast options.
VPN guide
Use a VPN to watch World Cup qualifiers from outside your country
If you’re out of the country for a round of fixtures, then annoyingly your domestic on-demand services won’t work – the broadcaster knows where you are because of your IP address (boo!). You'll be blocked from watching it, which is not ideal if you’ve paid up for a subscription and still want to catch Steve Bruce’s extra-red face without resorting to illegal feeds you’ve found on Reddit.
But assistance is on hand. To get around that, all you have to do is get a Virtual Private Network (VPN), assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and t'internet, meaning the service can’t work out where you are and won't automatically block the service you've paid for. All the info going between is entirely encrypted – and that's a result.
There are plenty of good-value options out there, including:
UK TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for UK subscribers
Sky Sports and BT Sport are the two main players once again, but Amazon also have a slice of the pie in 2021/22.
US TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for US subscribers
NBC Sports Group are the Premier League rights holders, with the Peacock Premium streaming platform showing even more than the 175 games it aired last season, with other matches split between NBCSN channel, CNBC and the over-the-air NBC broadcast channel. If you pick up a fuboTV subscription for the games not on Peacock Premium, you'll be able to watch every game.
Head back to our VPN advice so you can take advantage when you're out of the country.
Canada TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for Canadian subscribers
DAZN subscribers can watch every single Premier League game in 2021/22 – and it gets better. After a one-month free trial, you'll only have to pay a rolling $20-a-month fee, or make it an annual subscription of $150.
The broadcaster also has all the rights to Champions League and Europa League games in Canada, too.
Want in while you're out of Canada? Scroll back up and check out the VPN offers above.
Australia TV rights
How to watch Premier League live streams for Australian subscribers
Optus Sport are offering every game of the Premier League season for just $14.99/month for non-subscribers, which you can get via a Fetch TV box and other friendly streaming devices.
To take advantage while you're not Down Under, follow the VPN advice towards the top of this page.
New Zealand TV rights
How to watch a Premier League live stream for New Zealand subscribers
Spark Sport are serving up all 380 games – plus various highlights and magazine shows throughout the week, as well as the Champions League – for $24.99 a month, after a seven-day free trial.
It's also available via web browsers, Apple/Android devices, Google Chromecast and some Samsung TVs, and Apple TV and Smart TV compatibility new for this season.
Check out our VPN deals to watch when you’re not in New Zealand.
