Will Austria deliberately lose to avoid Spain?

A draw against Uruguay is enough for Spain to secure the top spot in their World Cup group (provided Cape Verde doesn't thrash Saudi Arabia), and this has led to some interesting speculation. "Will Austria deliberately lose to avoid Spain?" This question isn't coming from just anyone, but from Blick, arguably Switzerland's most widely read newspaper, regarding their Austrian neighbors.

In Austria itself, this speculation isn't just unrefuted; it's actively fueled by other major media outlets like Sky Sport: "Wouldn't third place be more appealing for the Austrian national team? Austria faces a curious situation ahead of their final group stage match. Austria and Algeria will already know who they'll play if they finish second, as well as their potential opponents if they finish third," the website adds.

"An absurd situation for Austria: why a loss to Algeria might be the better option," reads the headline on GMX.at. "Should we intentionally lose to make our path easier in the tournament? It sounds absurd, but it's due to the new and complex format introduced by FIFA. A loss would allow us to avoid Spain..." the media outlet states bluntly.

Even the BBC's Arabic service hasn't shied away from speculating about this conspiracy, as well as another linked to the 1982 World Cup: "Will the Algeria-Austria match be a rematch for the Gijón scandal, or perhaps a tactic to avoid Spain? Curiously, Algeria has a chance to avenge what happened 44 years ago in the Asturian city, when a 1-0 victory for Germany suited both the Germans and Austrians to advance, leaving the North Africans out. And that's exactly how the match ended – with serious suspicions of a fix."

The calculations this time also fuel the possibility of a "fix" between the Central Europeans and North Africans, because a draw, while leaving Austria in second place, would almost certainly qualify Algeria as a third-placed team. "Is a fixed match brewing at the World Cup? A draw between Austria and Algeria would qualify both teams for the knockout phase. This sparks speculation and awakens memories of the past," claims German publication Focus Online, recalling that controversial match in Gijón.

"Anyone familiar with Ralf Rangnick's winning mentality will assume that the Austrian team won't be playing mind games and will play for a win against Algeria," Sky Sport concludes its commentary. The answer will come on Saturday at 3:00 AM Spanish time, at the stadium in Kansas City.