Austria and Algeria will play to win when they meet in their final World Cup Group J match, their coaches said on Friday, dismissing suggestions that avoiding victory could provide a more favourable route.
Saturday’s match has generated unusual intrigue because the runners-up could be on course to face European champions Spain in the round of 32, while the third-placed finisher would likely play less daunting opponents.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick quickly shut down the discussion when he was asked if Austria might prefer to lose.
“No, definitely not. Next question,” he replied.
Algeria manager Vladimir Petkovic struck a similar tone, praising Austria as strong opponents and saying his side would focus on taking all three points.
“This doesn’t exist,” he said of the idea of trying to avoid a tougher knockout opponent. “We will see what happens after the match. But we have to do our best in order to promote our ambitions and try to win the match.”
Austria and Algeria each have three points in a group in which Argentina have already clinched top spot, meaning that the winner in Kansas City will finish second.
A draw would keep Austria in that position by virtue of their superior goal difference, but Algeria would likely advance as one of the best third-placed sides across the 12 groups with four points.
The group runners-up are on course to meet Spain, while the third-place side could face Group B winners Switzerland, although they are no soft touch either.
“There are certain teams that are a lot stronger on paper, but at this World Cup we realise that you can’t really be sure of anything,” Petkovic said.
1982 COMPARISON
Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer insisted that their sole focus was beating Algeria.
“I don’t care, honestly,” the Bayern Munich player said. “We go out, we want to win the game. We want to come through the group stage, and then we don’t know if it’s Spain or not.
“We will see tomorrow after the game which nation we got, but in the end we want to focus on us. We want to win the game. We want to come through the group stage, and then it doesn’t matter for me who we face.”
The fixture has inevitably revived memories of Austria’s infamous 1982 World Cup match against West Germany in Gijon, when the teams colluded to send both European sides through at Algeria’s expense in a match that became known as the “Disgrace of Gijon”.
Rangnick dismissed any comparison.
“When that match took place, none of … my team were alive, and I was 24 years old back then,” he said. “It shows you how long ago it was, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the match tomorrow.”
