- Algeria have won three of their last five games (D1, L1) while Austria are on a four-game winning streak.
- Austria are placed second in Group J with three points from one match played while Algeria, having lost their group opener, are fourth with zero.
- Amine Gouiri has scored four goals in Algeria's last five matches and the sides have scored 12 across that sequence.
Algeria vs Austria - a fascinating clash at Kansas City Stadium, USA
The 1982 World Cup meeting between these two countries will be on the minds of many fans watching Sunday's FIFA World Cup Group J clash, but the main storylines are all about the outcome and the respective paths each nation will take after it.
Austria are 31/20 favourites to beat the Desert Foxes at the Kansas City Stadium in the USA on Sunday, which seems a tad short given that Algeria are only 21/10 and the draw is 39/20. But we'll swerve the match result markets because the odds on goal markets offer more value given Austria's recent record.
Algeria have more experience of playing at a World Cup level, so they can certainly cause an upset, but we'll be going for 'Both teams to score - Yes' at 4/5 for Sunday's clash.
Free-scoring Algeria can test Die Mannschaft
Ralf Rangnick's Austrian side are second-placed in this group and have been impressive in their first match. The 3-1 win over Jordan in their World Cup opener was a good test of their high-tempo gegenpressing game and compact tactical structures which have produced four straight wins.
Vladimir Petkovic's Algeria are a bit more free-flowing and their wide, technically skilled attackers and forwards are set up to get behind defences on the counter-attack rather than press them all over the pitch. It's a good way to play despite a 3-0 defeat to Argentina last time out following away wins over the Netherlands (1-0) and Bolivia (4-0) in pre-tournament friendlies.
The Desert Foxes will be licking their lips at the prospect of taking on an Austrian side that will press, press and press some more in Kansas City. Marko Arnautovic leads the line for the Austrian side with one goal in one game so far, but Marcel Sabitzer is a bigger threat to the Algerian goal with three goals in his last five appearances, contributing 30% of his nation's 10 goals scored in that run.
Sabitzer and Sarr to outscore Arnautovic
Algeria have a prolific front line that includes a free-scoring striker in Amine Gouiri with four in his last five matches. Backing Sabitzer makes appeal. Backing Austria to win at 31/20 certainly makes sense on the basis of their current form and superior cohesion as a unit, but we prefer the goals markets in a game where Algeria have just as much to gain as the second-placed Europeans do with this final day fixture so vital to reaching the knockout phase.
