Algeria and Austria drew 3-3 in Kansas City on Saturday, both reaching the World Cup round of 32. Riyad Mahrez put Algeria 3-2 up in the 93rd minute before Sasa Kalajdzic equalised in the 96th.
Algeria and Austria drew 3-3 in Kansas City on Saturday, both reaching the World Cup round of 32. Riyad Mahrez put Algeria 3-2 up in the 93rd minute before Sasa Kalajdzic equalised in the 96th.
Austria led twice and were pegged back twice. Marko Arnautović opened the scoring before Rafik Belghali levelled by half-time. Marcel Sabitzer restored Austria's advantage at 2-1, then Riyad Mahrez struck in the 60th minute to make it 2-2.
The finish was extraordinary. Mahrez fired Algeria 3-2 ahead in the 93rd minute, a goal that, at that moment, would have eliminated Austria. Three minutes later substitute Sasa Kalajdzic headed in a Michael Gregoritsch cross with virtually his first touch, completing the 3-3 draw that sent both nations through.
A draw suited both teams before kick-off, fuelling pre-match speculation about a convenient result. Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said the chaotic ending killed that theory.
"In this match, when you have a 3-3, nobody can assume that it was an agreement, and especially what we saw during the last 90 seconds," Rangnick said. "Three minutes to play, if somebody had said this would happen, you would have told them they were mad."
The 67-year-old, with around four decades in coaching, said he could not recall a comparable night. "I am relieved and incredulous and happy. I still can't believe it. I need to be pinched to wake up from a dream," he said.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic called the contest "a little crazy" and welcomed the manner of it, given the history between the nations. "I'm extremely happy that at the end it was football that won, that prevailed. 3-3 as a score says it all," he said.
Mahrez was satisfied with the point. "It was a serious, disciplined performance. We were solid," he said. "In the end, we could have won it, but it's a draw. The most important thing is to go through."
Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer described the swing in the closing seconds. "You concede the 3-2 in the 94th minute and you think it's over, what more can happen?" he said. "But then we still get a clear chance. And we still believe."
The fixture revived memories of the 1982 "Disgrace of Gijon", when Austria and West Germany played out a mutually beneficial 1-0 result that eliminated Algeria. That match prompted FIFA to schedule final group fixtures simultaneously.
This time there was no engineered finish. Mahrez's double included his first World Cup goals, opening his account at the tournament in the 60th minute before the late strike. The draw carried Austria into their first World Cup knockout appearance in 44 years and Algeria into the last 32 for the first time since 2014.
Iran were the casualties. An Algeria win would have lifted them into the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams. Instead they finished bottom of the equation, eliminated by Kalajdzic's header.
Austria meet Spain in the round of 32 on 2 July in California. Algeria face Switzerland, a tie loaded with subtext for Petkovic, who coached the Swiss between 2014 and 2021.
"Switzerland is a great team... I do know them, even if there are new faces, some of them played with me, so I know these players," Petkovic said. He insisted recovery came first. "Let's rest and then we will begin again for the next round."
