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At the 30 June stadium, Algeria were more clinical, creative, and dominant than the ball-holding Guineans. With the Algerians holding more possession than Guinea for only 10 minutes throughout the entire game, they made up for it in the final third.
Whilst the game remains the focus of this article, the issue of Naby Keita's injuries and inability to help Guinea forward is quite newsworthy.
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The game began with much earnest from both sides. With a lot of sudden attacking, running, and a yellow card in the 6th minute, it was a while before either team calmed down. Notably, the first chance came in the 20th minute with a Bounedjah chance. However, the Algerian star shockingly hit the ball over the post from well within ten yards.
Algeria maintained pressure, winning corners, and keeping Guinea in defensive mode. Their breakthrough came only four minutes later with Bounedjah making up for his lost chance by giving an assist to Youcef Belaili's well-placed goal. Belaili played the ball to Bounedjah and moved past a confused, still defence just in time to receive the return pass and flick the ball into the goal.
For the rest of the first half, Guinea barely did anything tangible with their possession of the ball. Algeria had more chances, with Belaili, Bounedjah, and Mahrez showcasing bucketloads of creativity in the final third.
The Desert Foxes entered half time as the clearly better team, and the second half did not change that view.
The North Africans continued their seamless passing and cohesion that almost makes it seem like they all play for the same club. While the Guineans struggled to use their hold on the ball for anything useful, the Algerians had the game under control. The early stages of the second half had a poor flow, but El Khadra did not relent in their pursuit to cement the game.
In the 56th minute, another breakthrough for the creative Algerians came. A beautiful pass from Bensebani into the path of Riyad Mahrez had only one destination, and Mahrez made a great show of it. Twisting right with his body, he sent a confused keeper right and placed the ball to the left of the goal.
Algeria entered this game without conceding a goal in the tournament so far, and Guinea did not look capable of making it happen.
The third and final goal from the Algerians came in the 82nd minute as super-sub Adam Ounas found the net, thanks to Atal's pinpoint low cross.
We take a look at three reasons why the Algerians had an easy knockout game and beat Guinea with three goals.
#3 Algeria's cohesive attacking unit
The Fennecs have been brilliant in the final third since the beginning of the tournament. They have formed a creative force that is difficult to defend against, and Guinea is only the most recent team to suffer the classy playmaking of the Algerians.
There were uncountable moments during the game where the Algerians showcased their beautiful gameplay. Every single goal was premeditated and seen through. Every chance was clearly planned out in nearly erotic fashion. The Algerians, if they continue this way, have a big chance of winning this edition's AFCON.
A quick one-two pass led to the first goal. Quick feet, a perfect first touch, and a dummy led to the second. A smart distraction by Bounedjah to draw off a defender allowed his teammate Ounas to finalize the game with the third goal.
#2 Algeria was unstoppable in the final third
This is almost straightforward. Guinea had all of 13 shots at goal, Algeria had only 9. Guinea had only 1 shot on target, leaving a wayward 12. Algeria had five shots on target from nine, and they scored three. That singularly defines just how clinical the Desert Foxes were in front of goal.
In terms of dribbles, Guinea only got away with six dribbles, while Algeria had all of eighteen dribbles during the game, with Ismail Bennacer getting more dribbles than all of Guinea's team put together.
Algeria's low number of eight key passes shows just how decisive they were in front of goal. Nearly every key pass led to a shot on target, and nearly every shot on target led to a goal. Guinea may have had more key passes, but like their possession statistic, they wasted those passes and chances on goal.
#1 Guinea was poor defensively
All three goals happened because of how poor the Guineans defended at certain times. While he conceded three goals, Kone deserves a lot of praise for keeping it at just three. Any lesser keeper in goal and Algeria would have walked away with 5 goals.
The first goal happened because of a static defence that couldn't mark or even monitor a marauding attacker. The defender he ran past made no real effort in stopping him. The second goal had Mahrez entirely free and capable of breezing past one lone defender with loads of space to spare. The third goal came from a cross that should have been tackled down, but no defender seemed sure of themselves on getting to the ball.
This, however, does not demote the quality with which the Algerians played. They had a solid game, and it is only to the detriment of Guinea fans that their own team had a horrid game.
