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

A sluggish Algeria came from behind to beat Jordan 2-1 on Tuesday morning in their Group J fixture at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with boss Vladimir Petkovic's half-time substitutions ultimately proving the decisive factor.

Following the limp 3-0 defeat to Argentina in the opener, Petkovic had made two changes to his starting line-up for the Jordan match. Ramiz Zerrouki came in for Nabil Bentaleb in midfield, while Riyad Mahrez was restored to his place on the right flank at the expense of Anis Hadj-Moussa.

Initially, neither change paid off. Mahrez was lively enough, and was presented with two clear opportunities inside Jordan's area, but after a sumptuous first touch, he became tangled in his feet on the first before being denied by the Jordanian goalkeeper on the second.

Algeria dominated without conviction and were punished before the break. Zerrouki, badly out of form, surrendered possession in the centre of the pitch, and Al-Rashdan exploited another unconvincing moment from goalkeeper Luca Zidane to gift Jordan a barely deserved lead.

Benbouali and Hadj-Moussa — Algeria's decisive weapons

Unlike the Argentina game, where Petkovic had waited until the hour mark and a 2-0 deficit before making his first changes, the Algeria boss acted at the interval this time, clearly sensing the consequences of what would have been a humiliating defeat.

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

It would be an overstatement to say the impact was immediate, but Algeria gradually tightened their grip in the second half, building to 70% possession and ratcheting up the pressure on a tiring Jordan side, with Ibrahim Maza particularly influential at the heart of midfield.

Algeria won a succession of corners, and from one of them, Mahrez found the head of Benbouali, who converted to level the scores. A 26-year-old who plays for Gyori ETO in Hungary and received his first Algeria call-up only in March, Benbouali wore the hero's costume with surprising composure.

Two corners, two goals, and a famous victory

Invigorated by the equaliser, Hadj-Moussa — a disappointing starter against Argentina — then produced his best work from the bench, showing the penetrative dribbling that makes him such a threat.

From a corner he had won himself on the right, he delivered the ball to the far post where Amine Gouiri reacted quickest to turn home the winner.

Bentaleb's half-time introduction also proved significant — the midfielder won three times as many ground duels as Zerrouki had managed — and it is fair to say that Petkovic's changes made the difference, even if they were largely designed to correct his own misjudgements in the starting line-up.

The Algeria boss at times appeared to contradict himself between the Argentina and Jordan games, and even within the course of Tuesday's match. But he showed the pragmatism required when it mattered most, and Algeria now prepare for a winner-takes-all showdown with Austria for second place in Group J.

The Austrians, with a superior goal difference, will qualify even with a draw.