Petkovic rings changes as Algeria chase knockout berth against Austria
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group J - Algeria v Austria - Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. - June 27, 2026 Algeria players during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 27 : Algeria manager Vladimir Petkovic freshened up his side with four changes for their decisive Group J clash against Austria, including a switch in goal as Oussama Benbot replaces Luca Zidane.
Defender Jaouen Hadjam also comes into the lineup in place of Rayan Ait-Nouri, with Petkovic reshuffling his team as Algeria seek the result they need to reach the knockout stage.
Austria manager Ralf Rangnick has made three changes.
• Midfielders Houssem Aouar and Nabil Bentaleb start in place of Ramiz Zerrouki and Hicham Boudaoui
• Austria replaced midfielder Paul Wanner, striker Michael Gregoritsch and defender Kevin Danso with Phillip Mwene, Philipp Lienhart and Marko Arnautovic.
• Both teams have three points after beating Jordan and losing to Argentina. A win or a draw for either side guarantees advancement. However, the group runners-up face a clash with European champions Spain.
• Both managers brushed off questions in their pre-game press conferences about playing for a specific result.
• The clash carries profound historical weight, reviving memories of the 1982 World Cup where Austria and West Germany played out a mutually beneficial, uncompetitive match that eliminated Algeria in the "Disgrace of Gijon."
Teams:
Algeria: Oussama Benbot, Aissa Mandi, Riyad Mahrez, Houssem Aouar, Amine Gouiri, Fares Chaibi, Jaouen Hadjam, Rafik Belghali, Nabil Bentaleb, Ramy Bensebaini, Ibrahim Maza
Austria: Alexander Schlager; Stefan Posch, David Alaba, Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, Marcel Sabitzer, Romano Schmid, Konrad Laimer, Phillip Mwene, Philipp Lienhart, Marko Arnautovic
