Algeria 2-1 Jordan: Vladimir Petkovic's half-time gamble pays off as Algeria snatch 'final' against Austria

A sluggish Algeria came from down to bushed Jordan 2-1 connected Tuesday greeting successful their Group J fixture astatine Levi's Stadium successful Santa Clara, California, with brag Vladimir Petkovic's half-time substitutions yet proving the decisive factor.

Following the limp 3-0 decision to Argentina successful the opener, Petkovic had made 2 changes to his starting line-up for the Jordan match. Ramiz Zerrouki came successful for Nabil Bentaleb successful midfield, portion Riyad Mahrez was restored to his spot connected the close flank astatine the disbursal of Anis Hadj-Moussa.

Initially, neither alteration paid off. Mahrez was lively enough, and was presented with 2 wide opportunities wrong Jordan's area, but aft a sumptuous archetypal touch, helium became tangled successful his feet connected the archetypal earlier being denied by the Jordanian goalkeeper connected the second.

Algeria dominated without condemnation and were punished earlier the break. Zerrouki, severely retired of form, surrendered possession successful the centre of the pitch, and Al-Rashdan exploited different unconvincing infinitesimal from goalkeeper Luca Zidane to acquisition Jordan a hardly deserved lead.

Benbouali and Hadj-Moussa — Algeria's decisive weapons

Unlike the Argentina game, wherever Petkovic had waited until the hr people and a 2-0 shortage earlier making his archetypal changes, the Algeria brag acted astatine the interval this time, intelligibly sensing the consequences of what would person been a humiliating defeat.

Zerrouki and Hicham Boudaoui made mode for Bentaleb and striker Nadhir Benbouali.

It would beryllium an overstatement to accidental the interaction was immediate, but Algeria gradually tightened their grip successful the 2nd half, gathering to 70% possession and ratcheting up the unit connected a tiring Jordan side, with Ibrahim Maza peculiarly influential astatine the bosom of midfield.

Algeria won a succession of corners, and from 1 of them, Mahrez recovered the caput of Benbouali, who converted to level the scores. A 26-year-old who plays for Gyori ETO successful Hungary and received his archetypal Algeria call-up lone successful March, Benbouali wore the hero's costume with astonishing composure.

Two corners, 2 goals, and a celebrated victory

Invigorated by the equaliser, Hadj-Moussa — a disappointing starter against Argentina — past produced his champion enactment from the bench, showing the penetrative dribbling that makes him specified a threat.

From a country helium had won himself connected the right, helium delivered the shot to the acold station wherever Amine Gouiri reacted quickest to crook location the winner.

Bentaleb's half-time instauration besides proved important — the midfielder won 3 times arsenic galore crushed duels arsenic Zerrouki had managed — and it is just to accidental that Petkovic's changes made the difference, adjacent if they were mostly designed to close his ain misjudgements successful the starting line-up.

The Algeria brag astatine times appeared to contradict himself betwixt the Argentina and Jordan games, and adjacent wrong the people of Tuesday's match. But helium showed the pragmatism required erstwhile it mattered most, and Algeria present hole for a winner-takes-all showdown with Austria for 2nd spot successful Group J.

The Austrians, with a superior extremity difference, volition suffice adjacent with a draw.