Algeria vs Austria
Thrilling 3-3 draw in Algeria vs Austria
A six-goal spectacle sees both sides share the spoils in a World Cup classic.
Algeria and Austria served up a pulsating 3-3 draw in the World Cup, with R. Mahrez starring for Algeria by netting twice, including a stoppage-time equaliser. Austria's S. Kalajdzic responded in the dying moments to keep the points shared. The match was a rollercoaster of goals, perfectly matching Fipster's prediction of a draw, though the scoreline was far livelier than the anticipated 1-1.
Analysis
Algeria face Austria in their Group Stage matchday 3 clash, both sides eager to secure vital points as the group tightens. With Algeria sitting third and Austria second in the group, this fixture promises a competitive battle on the pitch.
Neither Algeria nor Austria are hosting the tournament, but both bring solid World Cup pedigrees. Algeria have appeared four times before, reaching the Round of 16 in 2014, while Austria have seven appearances with their best finish being third place in 1954. Both teams qualified directly, with Algeria topping their group and Austria doing the same in theirs. Austria holds a moderate squad calibre edge, boasting 16 players in top-five European leagues including Real Madrid's David Alaba, compared to Algeria's 11 such players.
Recent form is fairly even, with Algeria earning 2.17 points per game over the last year and Austria close behind at 2 points per game. Austria's midfield, led by Xaver Schlager, offers strong defensive disruption, while Algeria's defence, anchored by Ramy Bensebaini, is resilient. Attacking threats are balanced as well, with Austria's Marko Arnautović prolific at home and Algeria's Amine Gouiri matching that form away. However, Algeria's injury to M. Amoura slightly weakens their forward options, increasing reliance on Gouiri and Benbouali.
Prediction
The prediction leans towards a 1-1 draw, reflecting the balanced nature of the contest. Austria may edge the first half with a 0-1 lead, but Algeria's resilience and attacking potential should see them equalise by full time. Expect a disciplined game with around four cards issued, typical of a tense group stage encounter.
Outcome probability
Key Insights
Algeria's Defensive Solidity vs Austria's Attacking Depth
Bensebaini's strong defensive stats and passing accuracy give Algeria an edge in containing Austria's key attackers like Arnautović.
Austria's Home Scoring Form vs Algeria's Away Goal Threat
Austria's Schmid and Arnautović have strong home scoring form, but Algeria's Gouiri matches this with excellent away scoring, balancing attack potential.
Mahrez and Schlager Driving Creative Play
Both teams rely on these midfielders for assists and key passes, indicating their influence on goal creation in this match.
Amoura's Absence Weakens Algeria's Attack Options
Missing Amoura due to injury reduces Algeria's attacking depth, increasing reliance on Gouiri and Benbouali for goals.
Austria's Midfield Defensive Strength
Schlager and Seiwald's tackling and interception rates suggest Austria can disrupt Algeria's midfield rhythm effectively.
Key Takeaways
This fixture is set to be a tight affair with both teams showcasing their strengths and vulnerabilities. Fans can anticipate a competitive match where neither side will give an inch, culminating in a fair share of points as the group stage progresses.
- Algeria have made 4 prior World Cup appearances, best finish Round of 16 (2014).
- Austria have made 7 prior World Cup appearances, best finish Third place (1954).
- Both teams qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup by topping their respective qualifying groups.
- Austria's squad features 16 players in top-five European leagues, including David Alaba of Real Madrid.
- Algeria's squad includes 11 players in top-five European leagues, such as Ramy Bensebaini of Borussia Dortmund.
- Algeria currently sit 3rd in their group with 3 points from 2 games and a -2 goal difference.
- Austria currently sit 2nd in their group with 3 points from 2 games and a 0 goal difference.
- Recent form over the last 12 months shows Algeria averaging 2.17 points per game, Austria 2 points per game.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Algeria
Away — Austria
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
FIFA world ranking
Arnautović
Yellow Card
Arnautović
Assist: Alaba
Belghali
Schmid
Schlager
Arnautović
Sabitzer
Assist: Laimer
Mahrez
Assist: Aouar
Alaba
Belghali
Gouiri
Hadjam
Mahrez
Assist: Aouar
Aouar
Mwene
Kalajdzic
Assist: Gregoritsch
Match Statistics
Algeria
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 2A. MandiD
- 7R. MahrezM
- 8H. AouarM
- 9A. GouiriF
- 10F. ChaïbiM
- 13J. HadjamD
- 16O. BenbotG
- 17R. BelghaliD
- 19N. BentalebM
- 21R. BensebaïniD
- 22I. MazaM
Substitutes
- 1M. MastilG
- 3A. AbadaD
- 4M. TougaiD
- 5Z. BelaïdD
- 6R. ZerroukiM
- 11A. Hadj-MoussaF
- 12A. BenboualiF
- 14H. BoudaouiM
- 15R. Aït-NouriD
- 20A. BoulbinaF
- 23L. ZidaneG
- 24Y. TitraouiM
- 25F. GhedjemisF
- 26S. CherguiD
Austria
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 1A. SchlagerG
- 4X. SchlagerM
- 5S. PoschD
- 6N. SeiwaldM
- 7M. ArnautovićF
- 8D. AlabaD
- 9M. SabitzerM
- 15P. LienhartD
- 16P. MweneD
- 18R. SchmidM
- 20K. LaimerM
Substitutes
- 2D. AffengruberD
- 3K. DansoD
- 10F. GrillitschM
- 11M. GregoritschF
- 12F. WiegeleG
- 13P. PentzG
- 14S. KalajdzicF
- 17C. ChukwuemekaM
- 19D. LjubičićM
- 21P. WimmerM
- 22A. PrassD
- 23M. FriedlD
- 24P. WannerM
- 25M. SvobodaD
- 26A. SchöpfM
Algeria
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riyad Mahrez(C) | M | 90 | 9.2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0/1 |
| Rafik Belghali | D | 71 | 7.5 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/4 |
| Nabil Bentaleb | M | 90 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Houssem Aouar | M | 89 | 7.3 | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | 1/2 |
| Farès Chaïbi | M | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1/1 |
| Ibrahim Maza | M | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5/6 |
| Aïssa Mandi | D | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Jaouen Hadjam | D | 71 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 2/2 |
| Amine Gouiri | F | 71 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ramy Bensebaini | D | 90 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Oussama Benbot | G | 90 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Mohamed Tougai | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hicham Boudaoui | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Achref Abada | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Farès Ghedjemis | F | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Adil Boulbina | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yassine Titraoui | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Anis Hadj Moussa | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Melvin Mastil | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Luca Zidane | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ramiz Zerrouki | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ahmed Nadhir Benbouali | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Zineddine Belaid | D | 19 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Samir Sophian Chergui | D | 19 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rayan Aït-Nouri | D | 19 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2/3 |
Austria
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marko Arnautović | F | 45 | 7.3 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Marcel Sabitzer | M | 90 | 7.3 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0/1 |
| David Alaba(C) | D | 62 | 6.9 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| Xaver Schlager | M | 45 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Konrad Laimer | M | 90 | 6.3 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Nicolas Seiwald | M | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Alexander Schlager | G | 90 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Romano Schmid | M | 45 | 6.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Phillipp Mwene | D | 89 | 6.0 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Philipp Lienhart | D | 90 | 5.9 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Stefan Posch | D | 90 | 5.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| David Affengruber | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Patrick Wimmer | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dejan Ljubičić | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Michael Svoboda | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alexander Prass | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Patrick Pentz | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Florian Wiegele | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alessandro Schöpf | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marco Friedl | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carney Chukwuemeka | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Saša Kalajdžić | F | 2 | 7.6 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Michael Gregoritsch | F | 45 | 6.9 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — |
| Florian Grillitsch | M | 45 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Paul Wanner | M | 45 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/2 |
| Kevin Danso | D | 28 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |