Austria and Algeria knew a draw would be enough to send both of them through to the World Cup knockout stages in their final Group J game.It would take them onto four points, Austria would progress in second with a superior goal difference, and Algeria would be one of the eight best third-place teams. As a result, Iran would miss out on a place in the round of 32.In Italy, they call it a biscotto (literal meaning cookie/biscuit), a.k.a a game in which both sides mutually benefit from a specific result.A famous example of this type of game was the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’ at the 1982 World Cup, when West Germany and Austria played out a result they knew would mean Algeria were eliminated. At every World Cup since, the final two group games have been played simultaneously.These nations were involved again in a match in Kansas City on Saturday that had a surprising amount of goals, before lulling into a passing contest and then finishing with a thrilling conclusion.After over 100 passes, Algeria found a goal that looked like it would serve as revenge for Gijon, only for Austria to find an equaliser with moments left in the game. And the losers ended up being Iran, who then missed out.Here’s how it all played out.Despite fears before kick-off that this game would be a no-contest, Algeria fell behind twice in the match, first to Marko Arnautovic, who got on the end of a long ball before nicking it past the onrushing Ousamma Benbot.His goal was cancelled out by Rafik Belghali after a long ball rather satisfyingly stayed in on the corner flag and fell to the fullback, who weaved between defenders and smashed the ball inside the near post.Austria went ahead for the second time through Marcel Sabitzer, but again Algeria replied through Riyad Mahrez, who scored his first World Cup goals at 35 years old.After the game reached 2-2 on the hour mark, the game slowed. Both teams had what they needed. So maybe that would be that… well, not quite.With the game petering out, Algeria were keeping possession comfortably and in the 87th minute started a sequence of 110 passes that would result in a goal that ripped up the script.The sequence started when Austria’s Phillipp Mwene made a clearance which went out of play off of Michael Gregoritsch’s head.Algeria threw the ball back into play and knocked it between their backline around the halfway line, with Austria being more than happy to let them do so, exerting no real energy in their press.Algeria’s lack of intent with the passes allowed Austria’s Konrad Laimer to get a stretch in at one point, as seen in the bottom left of the photo below.It also leads to jeers from the crowd in Kansas City, who perhaps wanted to get more bang for their buck in the closing stages.But after five minutes of patient possession, Fares Chaibi found a line-breaking pass to Houssem Aourar.Aourar turns, sliding the ball through to Mahrez, who deftly finished past Austria’s goalkeeper, Alexander Schlager.With Algeria winning, Austria were facing last-minute elimination from the tournament, which meant Iran would progress to the knockouts.This is because Austria would have remained on three points but with an inferior goal difference to Iran in the third-place standings (minus one to zero).The Austrian team looked on in horror. And in his post-match news conference, Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said both teams had appeared to have settled for a draw at 2-2 until “one or two players of Algeria” took matters into their own hands in stoppage time.“I don’t know how it came about,” Rangnick said. “Nobody can tell me that at minute 75 that, in minute 93, someone would plan, ‘Oh yes, let’s score another goal’. Maybe it was the thought of one or two players of Algeria, but I think in the rest of the team (that wasn’t the case).”Algerian players celebrated but didn’t look as delighted as you would think, in conversation on the way back to the restart.The Athletic are not lipreaders, but could they have been discussing the possibility of facing Spain instead of Switzerland in the round of 32 with a second-place finish? Who knows?With just one minute remaining of added time, it looked like Austria wouldn’t get the chance to get back in the game.They brought on Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Sasa Kalajdzic and quickly got a shot off after their goalkeeper launched a long ball, which Lienhart skuffed wide.The clock continued running past the minimum added-time of four minutes, though and in their second attack since conceding a cross was delivered, which Michael Greogoric headed back across goal to the substitute Kalajdzic, whose equalising header took Austria from despair to jubilation in minutes.Just like that Austria were back to second and it is them who face Spain in the round of 32.Algeria dropped to third to match up with Switzerland in the next round, leaving Iran with not enough to progress.The jeering fans quickly had plenty to celebrate, as Austria surrounded and jumped on their goalscorer. Not a bad way to book your place in the knockout stages.When asked about the loss of attacking impetus from both teams between the first Mahrez goal, to equalise on 60 minutes, and his second, to put them 3-2 up in stoppage time, Rangnick said, “I think that’s very logical after such an exciting and extreme match, going back and forth, where it could have been 6-6. At that point, I don’t imagine that most of the (Algeria) team would have preferred to play against Spain than against Switzerland. And in our case, there was no other option but to play against Spain.“In this match, where it was 3-3, I don’t think anyone can imagine that it was an agreement or anything like that, especially when you saw the last 90 seconds. We are sorry that Iran had a goal disallowed (against Egypt) and I think they deserve to go through, but the format is the way it is, whether it’s good or bad.”Who says draws can’t be entertaining?