Austria hold off shock Jordan comeback to earn hard-fought World Cup victory

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jordan/vNcmJoU2/"]Jordan[/a] carved out the first opportunity inside two minutes, as a quick counter-attack resulted in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haddad-ehsan/Qu8RWmbd/"]Ehsan Haddad[/a] hitting the side netting, and confidence continued to build after Musa Al-Taamari had the first shot on goal soon after, albeit resulting in the simplest of saves for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schlager-alexander/l6a12jEC/"]Alexander Schlager[/a].[/p][p]The Jordanians sat deep in defence to stifle the Austrian threat and hit them on the break, which nearly worked to full effect when Odeh Al-Fakhouri took aim from 25 yards, forcing Schlager to tip over.[/p][p][b]But the debutants’ bright start was wiped out on the 20-minute mark, when Xaver Schlager laid the ball back for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schmid-romano/lGA7E78J/"]Romano Schmid[/a], who curled Austria’s first real chance straight into the top corner from outside the area.[/b][/p][p]Al-Nashama were inches from a perfect response two minutes later, when a corner was worked to the near post, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olwan-ali/jw8gA2n0/"]Ali Olwan[/a]’s header clipped the crossbar. Austria exerted better control after the first-half hydration break, but only until Olwan unleashed a fierce shot in the 34th minute, which the goalkeeper could only parry to Al-Taamari, and his follow-up needed a vital block from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lienhart-philipp/Y11H2ibh/"]Philipp Lienhart[/a].[/p][p]The West Asian side were the stronger as half-time approached, but an Al-Taamari effort dragged wide in added time was the closest they came to levelling before the break.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="111e5ea4-fc06-49c3-a95b-f4ba3e074f81" credit-line="StatsPerform via Opta" guid="9c033776-43bd-4ec9-a800-1d97e1e1b6ce" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b]The moment that will live forever in Jordanian football history arrived five minutes into the second half, as they forced a turnover in their own half, allowing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/al-rawabdeh-noor/Ol99VgJf/"]Noor Al-Rawabdeh[/a] to set Olwan away down the left wing, where he cut into the 18-yard box to send a clean strike around Schlager and in off the post for his 30th international goal. [/b][/p][p]As their opponents did in the first half, Das Team responded positively to conceding. And after half-chances for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/posch-stefan/nsVWqZE2/"]Stefan Posch[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chukwuemeka-carney/tpQg2gso/"]Carney Chukwuemeka[/a], Austria thought they had gone ahead again when substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arnautovic-marko/WvR2ASLR/"]Marko Arnautovic[/a] stabbed home at a corner, only for it to be disallowed following a VAR review for handball by Posch before the ball dropped to Austria’s record scorer.[/p][p]But Ralf Rangnick’s side weren’t to be denied at their next corner 13 minutes from time, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabitzer-marcel/8UkK3Y37/"]Marcel Sabitzer[/a]’s delivery caused havoc in the Jordan defence and was diverted into his own net by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/al-arab-yazan/OWRzPGGg/"]Yazan Al-Arab[/a].[/p][p]Although Arnautovic failed to increase the winning margin by shooting straight at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abulaila-yazeed/fiGcd9Ht/"]Yazeed Abulaila[/a] when one-on-one, his ball across goal in the 10th minute of added time was handled by Salim Obaid.[/p][p][b]Taking the responsibility himself, Arnautovic dispatched the penalty for his 48th international goal, sealing Austria’s first WC win since 1990 to join [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] on three points in Group J.[/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="66975409-4173-48a4-adda-1a677d50b758" credit-line="StatsPerform" guid="f7fd7f90-2024-439f-a4dd-1905fa680b32" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sellami-jamal/zaHXhUd6/"]Jamal Sellami[/a]’s side will be grateful not to have to face another UEFA member in the group, as they are now winless in eight against European opposition.[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schlager-xaver/M1bcCLIU/"]Xaver Schlager[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austria/naHiWdnt/"]Austria[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/austria-naHiWdnt/jordan-vNcmJoU2/summary/stats/?mid=OO27CLhe"]See all the key match stats on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]