Mahrez scores, Algeria draw 3–3 with Austria and reach round of 16

Algeria 3–3 Austria, and the Mahrez goal that complicated everything

Your team are through to the round of 16, but Sunday's 3–3 draw with Austria came wrapped in chaos (2) (3) (4). Algeria led late. Then Austria equalised. The result sent both teams through at the expense of Jordan, who were eliminated (2). Riyad Mahrez scored, and the optics were awkward, his goal helped the scoreline that suited both sides. "As an Algerian I'm thinking: why is he scoring?" one fan told RMC Sport (3). Algeria and Austria both felt compelled to defend the result against accusations of collusion (2). Mandi and Aït-Nouri were among those who had to answer questions about the nature of the match (2).

Switzerland await in the last 16

The draw with Austria means Algeria finish second in Group J and face Switzerland in the knockout round (3) (5). The Swiss are a known quantity, organised, physical, hard to break down. No date has been set yet.

Austria's hero: a man with no ACLs

The Austrian player who scored the late equaliser against Algeria gave a remarkable interview to Marca afterwards. "Espero asimilarlo antes de jugar con España," he said, which means he hopes to process it before facing Spain in the next round (6). Marca's headline called him "the hero without knees", he plays without functioning ACLs (6). He rescued Austria from elimination with that goal.

The Argentina defeat that put everything on edge

Algeria opened Group J with a 3–0 loss to Argentina on June 16 (5). Messi scored a hat-trick (5). Mohamed Amoura was ruled out of the group stage with a thigh injury before the Austria match, costing Algeria a key forward. The Argentina defeat meant Sunday's game against Austria became must-not-lose territory, and the 3–3 draw got the job done, just about.

Fan reactions

Algerian fans are split between relief and scepticism. Many are calling out the goalkeeping as a clear weakness, "long are the days of Raïs M'bolhi," one fan posted bluntly on r/soccer. Others are marveling at the stats: Opta recorded 110 passes in the build-up to Mahrez's goal, with Algeria holding the ball for over five minutes in one sequence. The conspiracy chatter around the draw is also drawing eyes.