Arsenal take the first step of their European journey on Thursday night and are up for a tough test against an in-form side.
After a disappointing campaign last time out, facing an exit much earlier than expected, Arsenal are preparing to begin a new adventure in Europe.
Improvement on last season is largely expected with the Gunners now having more ammunition, and stronger ones too, than earlier. They could only reach up to the first knockout stage in 2019/20 but are expected to go all the way through in the current campaign.
The initial hurdle, however, might not be as easy to cross as it seems for Rapid Vienna, last season’s Austrian Bundesliga runners-up, boast plenty of experience in UEFA’s secondary competition.
Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal Form:
The home side are in sublime form. In Austrian Bundesliga, they are one of only three teams yet to be on the wrong end of a scoreline. They can also boast about their potent goalscoring abilities, having notched up 10 goals from their four league matches.
An equally admirable recent record is held by the Green-Whites in the Europa League with having lost just one of the last nine home games in the competition.
The Gunners’ recent form is not as impressive – two losses in their last five games. While they have shown massive improvement under their former captain, it appears as if Mikel Arteta is still trying to figure out what his best XI is – hence the inconsistency.
Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal Head-to-head:
Only twice have the two teams collided against each other previously, with both clashes coming in 1991. A victory apiece is the story so far.
Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal Team News:
All of Tamas Szanto, Philipp Schobesberger, Christopher Dibon, and Dalibor Velimirovic remain unavailable for Thursday’s Group B fixture through injuries.
As for the visitors, Mesut Ozil is the biggest name absent from the team sheet. Gabriel Martinelli is the only injured player for while Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, and Calum Chambers are also doubtful.
Predicted line-ups:
Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal Latest Odds:
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