Petkovic praises Algeria spirit after 'crazy' Austria draw

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 28 : Algeria manager Vladimir Petkovic described his side's dramatic 3-3 draw with Austria in their final World Cup Group J match on Saturday as "a little crazy," after both teams advanced to the round of 32.

Austria led twice but Algeria responded on each occasion. They looked to have clinched victory with a 93rd-minute goal to make it 3-2, but Austria equalized three minutes later in stoppage time.

• "It sort of went beyond the limits of everyone's endurance," Petkovic said.

• Algeria will face Switzerland in the round of 32, with Petkovic meeting a side he coached from 2014 to 2021.

• "Switzerland is a great team... I do know them, even if there are new faces, some of them played with me, so I know these players," Petkovic said.

• He added, however, that said his immediate focus was recovery rather than Algeria's next opponent.

• "Let's rest and then we will begin again for the next round," he said.

• He said Algeria are still developing as a side and improving from match to match.

• Reflecting on the draw, he welcomed the outcome, as memories of the 1982 "Disgrace of Gijon" when West Germany and Austria played out a mutually beneficial match that eliminated Algeria lingered in the build-up.

• "I'm extremely happy that at the end it was football that won, that prevailed. 3-3 as a score says it all," Petkovic said.