sports
Late drama sends Austria and Algeria into World Cup knockouts to break Iran hearts
Before a ball was kicked, the nicknames for this match were rampant. A biscotto was one – an Italian classic implying something that has to be baked twice; one cooperating with the other. Or maybe you preferred the “Disgrace of Kansas City”, recalling the “Disgrace of Gijón”, a callback to the 1982 World Cup where West Germany settled for a 1-0 win over Austria in a result that qualified both teams for the knockout round while eliminating Algeria.
TL;DR
- Algeria and Austria drew 3-3 in a match that qualified both for the knockout round, eliminating Iran.
- The game was compared to the "Disgrace of Gijón" from the 1982 World Cup, suggesting a pre-arranged result.
- Austria took the lead through Marko Arnautovic, but Algeria equalized via Rafik Belghali.
- Konrad Laimer and Marcel Sabitzer scored for Austria, while Riyad Mahrez netted for Algeria, making it 2-2.
- Mahrez scored again to give Algeria the lead, but Sasa Kalajdzic equalized with the last action of the game.
- The result qualified Austria for the second round of a World Cup for the first time since 1982.
- Algeria returned to the knockout stage, having previously progressed in 2014.