I stopped by the San Jose Museum of Art yesterday and stood a long time before a piece that reminded me how composition is everything — the way space is used, the negative as much as the positive, and Algeria use their space on this pitch like a painter uses a canvas, with Boudaoui and Zerrouki threading the midfield with an authority that Jordan simply cannot match. Ramy Bensebaini sweeps behind them like a libero from another era, and when a defence is built on such an assured foundation, attacking football flows naturally from it like water finding its level. Jordan's goalkeeper Abulaila may keep this respectable, but eighteen attacks against none tells you everything about who is playing the music tonight and who is merely listening.

Algeria's midfield is simply overwhelming here — Boudaoui and Zerrouki will control the tempo and press Jordan into their own half for long stretches, leaving Mahrez and the forward line with acres of space to exploit. Jordan's defensive block looks disciplined on paper, but with zero attacking threat to pin Algeria back, they'll be camped in their own penalty area and eventually the dam breaks twice. I attempted a sourdough San Francisco Dutch crunch roll while here in Santa Clara — the crust was magnificent but I may have over-fermented it, which, unlike Mandi's reading of the sweeper role, was not a calculated risk worth taking.