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Marksman: Hosiner challenges Rogvi Baldvinson during Friday night's win over the Faroes. Ronald Zak/AP/Press Association Images

Austrian goal machine Philipp Hosiner our greatest threat, warns Trapattoni

The young striker has scored 27 goals in 26 games for his club this season. Nothing to worry about, right?

HE’S SCORED 27 goals in 26 games for his club this season — now Philipp Hosiner is coming for Ireland.

Austria’s red-hot striker has the pace to derail Ireland’s dream of a first World Cup in 12 years, manager Giovanni Trapattoni warned today.

The 23-year-old is set to win only his third senior cap if trusted by Austria boss Marcel Koller to lead the line in Dublin tomorrow night.

With the race for second place in Group C still wide open, Koller will hope that his young marksman can reproduce the stunning form he has shown to propel runaway leaders Austria Vienna to the top of the Bundesliga table.

Hosiner stormed the goalscoring charts and in the process earned his first international start in Friday’s thumping victory over the Faroe Islands.

He continued his golden touch and scored twice in the opening minutes to set Austria on their way to a resounding 6-0 win and a goal difference boost that may yet prove crucial.

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Koller will not name his team until closer to kick-off but earlier today, Trapattoni said that his Austrian colleague has plenty of attacking options, particularly if captain and veteran striker Marc Janko is fit again after sitting out the Faroes game.

“Janko, I know very well his quality,” Trapattoni said, “but I think Hosiner is a little bit faster and similar to Long. I think he can give us more problems.”

With a well-deserved point to show for their efforts in Sweden, confidence in the home camp is high but Trapattoni warned that Austria have the talent to fashion chances and punish any risky behaviour.

“We play a team that is agile and fast. Austria has players with geometry that play very, very quickly.

“They have creative players, attacking players like Alaba, Ivanschitz, Hosiner, Arnautovic. Last game Janko was on the bench but if he is not injured, my colleague might decide to also play Janko.

“We must try and win this game but we must also play with intelligence because there are many games still to come before qualification is finished. The fixture calendar means that we will be in contention until the last game, I think.”

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