Austria and Algeria drew 3-3 in a crazy World Cup match, with both teams commenting on the unpredictability of the match. Austria progresses from the group stage for the first time since 1982.
Ralf Rangnick dismissed the idea that Austria and Algeria intended to play for a draw, while Vladimir Petkovic reflected on a "crazy" match. Austria snatched a last-second 3-3 draw in a thrilling match in Kansas City. Both teams knew that a draw would be enough to progress, but Austria would be left out when Riyad Mahrez scored his second goal of the match in the third minute of injury time. But just 61 seconds after coming onto the pitch, Sasa Kalajdzic headed the equalizer. There had been a possibility, before the match, that both teams would adopt a conservative approach to bring home the equalizer, but Rangnick rejected this idea. “In this match, when you have a 3-3, nobody can assume that there was an understanding, and especially what we saw in the last 90 seconds,” Rangnick said, as reported by Reuters. "If someone had said that with 3 minutes to go this would happen, you would have told them they were crazy. "Roughly 40 years into my coaching career and I can't remember a match with such a dramatic course and such an unexpected ending. "Everyone expected 0-0 or 1-1, and now it's 3-3. It's unbelievable. The dressing room is in the grip of madness. If Alfred Hitchcock had written such a drama, I myself would have said he was completely mad. "Everyone who watched the match in the last 15 minutes must know that there was no indication that the players absolutely wanted a draw. I think they wanted to win. “No one can tell me that suddenly, in the 93rd minute, someone was planning: 'Oh yes, let's score another goal'. I think maybe it was the thought of one or two Algeria players, but I think in the rest of the team it wasn't like that, and not as far as I'm concerned." Algeria coach Petkovic also added: "It was a match that went beyond everyone's endurance, it was a bit crazy." Austria managed to get through the group stage for the first time since 1982 and will face Spain in the next round. Algeria, however, will face Switzerland.
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