Italy vs Austria 1998: Baggio and Vieri Secure Top Spot. Italy and Austria met at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis for their final Group B fixture of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Managed by Cesare Maldini, Italy needed a positive result to secure top spot in the group, while Herbert Prohaska’s Austria were hunting for a win after relying on dramatic, injury-time equalizers in their opening two matches against Cameroon and Chile. The match was a tightly contested affair defined by clinical Italian forward play and Austria's persistent refusal to go down without a fight. Key Match Timeline 48th Minute: The deadlock is broken just after halftime. Alessandro Del Piero delivers a precise, curling free-kick into the penalty area, and Christian Vieri rises to power home a trademark header. It is Vieri's fourth goal of the tournament. 90th Minute: Substituted into the match for Del Piero, Roberto Baggio seals the victory. After link-up play with Filippo Inzaghi, Il Divin Codino slides a right...