No end to Austria's 30 years of hurt

Imbalance
This has always been a one-sided European footballing rivalry. With England-Scotland, Portugal-Spain and Belgium-Netherlands each team's fortunes have waxed and waned, the initiative flowing one way then the other. Not this one. Germany have always been the domineering relation in the 'Bruderduell', Austria the weaker cousin – David to their neighbour's Goliath. Rarely has their slingshot hit its target, with Austria recording a solitary victory in ten previous competitive meetings – though that game has gone down in folklore, as testified by the many 'We are Cordoba' T-shirts dotted around the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

Legend
It was in the Argentinian city of Cordoba at the 1978 FIFA World Cup that an Austria side including current coach Josef Hickersberger claimed a famous 3-2 victory against West Germany that sent the holders crashing out at the second group stage. Conscious of overburdening his players with expectation, Hickersberger had attempted to muzzle talk of a repeat. Yet if that was the ploy, it did not immediately work as the co-hosts started nervously, a disjointed midfield leaving the back line exposed.

Early reprieves
Thankfully for the locals, Mario Gómez was similarly out of sorts. Twice in the opening five minutes he squandered presentable chances, the second particularly inviting as, with the goal at his mercy, he scuffed Miroslav Klose's excellent centre. The ball looped towards goal, but the Germany No9 failed to react and György Garics headed out from under the crossbar. Aufstieg looked a distant dream for Austria. Gradually they settled, though, the diminutive Erwin Hoffer running tirelessly on his own up front only to be rebuffed by Germany's defensive pillars Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder.

Ballack strike
Referee Manuel Mejuto González's decision to send Hickersberger and Joachim Löw to the stands added to the drama. Löw took a seat beside the suspended Bastian Schweinsteiger and four minutes after half-time the pair were in an embrace as they celebrated Ballack's goal, the captain rifling in a blistering shot from 30 metres following a free-kick. Cordoba was a world away and Germany immediately began to sit back, inviting Austria on and then hitting on the break.

Kienast history
With time ebbing away Austria made their last throw of the dice by bringing on Roman Kienast, a youngster with fine football pedigree – his uncle Reinhard had scored twice the last time they beat Germany, in a 1986 friendly. The stage was set and the small majority of the 51,428 crowd rose in expectation when, soon after, the 24-year-old shaped to meet a dinked cross. Mertesacker somehow stretched his long legs ahead of him to clear, however, and the danger was averted. All that was left was for the Austrian fans to sing in defiance. Next time.