Marko Arnautović struck twice to guide Austria to a controlled 2-0 victory over Cyprus in FIFA World Cup qualifying, putting his nation on the verge of reaching the finals for the first time since 1998.

Looking to respond to last month’s setback against Romania, Austria started confidently in Limassol and needed less than 20 minutes to break the deadlock from the penalty spot. Anderson Correia brought down Christoph Baumgartner inside the area, allowing Arnautović to step up and send his effort beyond Fabiano with trademark calmness.

The Cypriot goalkeeper, already beaten once, did well to prevent Austria from extending their lead before the half-hour mark, pulling off a strong save to deny Marcel Sabitzer before reacting again to stop a driven effort from Nicolas Seiwald. Despite trailing by just a single goal at the interval, Cyprus—already eliminated from contention—rarely hinted at a comeback.

Austria, by contrast, looked far likelier to add a second, and Arnautović did just that soon after the restart. Released through on goal by Kevin Danso, the veteran striker cut onto his left foot and coolly slotted past Fabiano to claim his 47th international goal, moving three clear at the top of Austria’s all-time scoring charts.

His brace proved to be his final contribution before making way in a double substitution that introduced Michael Gregoritsch and Kevin Wimmer. The latter came inches from extending the margin when he struck the post in pursuit of his first international goal since June 2024.

There was little need for further insurance as Ralf Rangnick’s side professionally managed the closing stages, maintaining their five-point cushion at the top of Group H. Austria’s ticket to the World Cup could be confirmed later in the evening, should Bosnia and Herzegovina fail to defeat Romania.