- Austria have won four and drawn one of their last five matches, including a 1-0 win over Tunisia and 1-0 win over Republic of Korea in their Friendly International Matches 2026 programme.
- Jordan are winless in five (D3, L2), including back-to-back defeats to Switzerland (4-1) and Colombia (2-0) away from home.
- Jordan have lost five and drawn one of their last six away fixtures and conceded 14 goals in that sequence.
Austrians have momentum
Austria will try to take the initiative in a historic clash for Jordan at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The Jordanians are making their World Cup debut in the USA, but Austria need to start with a win in their Group J opener if they are to take second place.
Ralf Rangnick's team have been playing at a fantastic pace on the road in 2026 and can still control the tempo of a clash in which the bookmakers make them 1.34 favourites against Jordan, who are 9.9 to win the match.
They are 1.34 for the win here and rightfully so because Rangnick has transformed the team into one of the most aggressive and energetic sides in world football. His blueprint of a gegenpressing 4-2-3-1 system is built around his energetic midfield, led by Konrad Laimer, pressing high up and making turnovers count.
Swerve favourites
Jordan are set to play the opposite way with a compact low block and will sit deep and hope to play on the counter-attack with long balls or set pieces. This could make for a cagey first half as the two tactical blueprints collide in a World Cup Group J game.
The bookmakers are right to favour Austria.
Jordan have been in poor form, with one win, four draws and five defeats in their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Jamal Sellami's pragmatic style of football has been relatively successful in that it has frustrated some good teams, but his team have lost their two most recent games and confidence may be low.
Dutch masterclass
Austria have won eight, drawn one and lost only one of their ten most recent matches in all competitions and have the momentum to get the better of a Jordan side. The quality of the Austrian team, particularly in the wide areas, should eventually tell on Wednesday and there is a good chance that the Jordanians will run out of ideas by half-time.
Jordan will look to pacey Mousa Al-Tamari to provide the spark in the attack, while Ali Olwan is a threat on set pieces and could be a threat on the break or in transition if Jordan can win the ball back in dangerous areas. Yazan Al-Arab is the centre-back holding it all together and will need a big game to keep the Austrians at bay.
Austria have an experienced and ruthless finisher in Marko Arnautović, who will be a major threat against a deep Jordanian defense and in tight spots. Marcel Sabitzer is in the form of his life and has three goals in his last five appearances for the Austrians, who have scored 10 in the same sequence.
The odds on 'Both teams to score - No' at 1.75 looks like a smart alternative bet given Jordan's scoring struggles.
