Algeria were easily beaten 3-0 by Argentina in their opening World Cup fixture, as Lionel Messi put on a masterclass to single-handedly secure his side the three points. Algeria have a genuinely strong squad on paper, and they will be hoping to bounce back from that humbling defeat - this matchup against Jordan represents a much more favourable opportunity to showcase their talent. A significant proportion of the Algerian starting XI are mainstays at top clubs across Europe, which means Nizar Al Rashdan could be set for an extremely difficult afternoon in midfield for Jordan.
The 27-year-old was fortunate to escape without a booking in the opening round, despite accumulating a total of three fouls. He also completed four tackles, highlighting a real willingness to engage in physical duels rather than back off. Al Rashdan has also picked up five yellow cards from just 16 domestic appearances for Qatar SC this season.
