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Voici l'analyse du match faite par le Guardian.
Franco Baldini, the England general manager dispatched to Dublin by Fabio Capello, was not the only man running the rule over the team that will take on England in Cape Town on 18 June. The Algeria manager Rabah Saadane also hoped to find out how dangerous the Desert Foxes could be.
Saadane's side have been in a fearful flux since securing qualification for the World Cup, performing erratically at the Africa Cup of Nations in January and sinking to a 3-0 home defeat by Serbia in March. That, and the loss of several regulars to injury, convinced Saadane to scour Europe for players of Algerian parentage and the team that started against Ireland tonight contained three debutants, with another three recent recruits deployed from the bench. None revealed qualities to frighten England.
The word from the Algerian camp is that they dread England's set-piece prowess, so Saadane will have wished to see signs that his rejigged defence could cope with that threat. Instead he got confirmation that he needs the Rangers centre-back Madjid Bougherra to regain fitness because his stand-in, Eintracht Frankfurt's Habib Ballaid, endured a difficult debut and received scant support from his more experienced partner, Rafik Halliche, whose flustered attempted clearances, especially from high balls, frequently spread panic among his team-mates.
Wayne Rooney will relish the part of Baldini's report that describes how Kevin Doyle's movement continually beguiled Bellaid. In the fourth minute the Wolves striker eluded his marker to meet a Damien Duff free-kick at the edge of the six-yard box. Goalkeeper is one of several positions up for grabs in the Algerian team and it looked as if Faouzi Chaouchi might have claimed it for good by saving Doyle's shot smartly but uncertainty soon returned. The keeper was not at fault for Ireland's opening goal – his defenders were dozing as Duff took a short free-kick and allowed an Irish debutant, the Derby County midfielder Paul Green, to head in Liam Lawrence's cross. Chaouchi erred for Ireland's second goal, fumbling a Duff cross into the path of a grateful Robbie Keane, and was replaced. Saadane gave a first cap to the Slavia Sofia keeper Rais Mbolhi. He, at least, was not culpable for Ireland's third, a penalty converted by Keane.
Mehdi Lacen, stationed at the base of Algeria's midfield diamond, was supposed to provide extra cover to his defence but he was too often outnumbered until Saadane tinkered at half-time, switching to a five-man midfield with Yazid Mansouri alongside Lacen in the middle, withKarim Ziani, hitherto at the tip of the diamond, shifted out to the right. Ziani, a dextrous dribbler with an eye for a cutting pass, has been in and out of Wolfsburg's side this season but he is Algeria's most creative player and dependency on him increased this week with the news that Mourad Meghni will miss the World Cup though injury. Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Karim Matmour may recover in time to provide assistance.
That will only leave the question as to whom the midfielders should supply. Algeria began with a forward duo that, though big and enthusiastic, count only six international goals between them and were as weak in the air as their defenders were. The country's top scorer, Rafik Saifi, was introduced in the second half and showed elegant touches but he, at 35, is far from certain to start in South Africa.
Franco Baldini, the England general manager dispatched to Dublin by Fabio Capello, was not the only man running the rule over the team that will take on England in Cape Town on 18 June. The Algeria manager Rabah Saadane also hoped to find out how dangerous the Desert Foxes could be.
Saadane's side have been in a fearful flux since securing qualification for the World Cup, performing erratically at the Africa Cup of Nations in January and sinking to a 3-0 home defeat by Serbia in March. That, and the loss of several regulars to injury, convinced Saadane to scour Europe for players of Algerian parentage and the team that started against Ireland tonight contained three debutants, with another three recent recruits deployed from the bench. None revealed qualities to frighten England.
The word from the Algerian camp is that they dread England's set-piece prowess, so Saadane will have wished to see signs that his rejigged defence could cope with that threat. Instead he got confirmation that he needs the Rangers centre-back Madjid Bougherra to regain fitness because his stand-in, Eintracht Frankfurt's Habib Ballaid, endured a difficult debut and received scant support from his more experienced partner, Rafik Halliche, whose flustered attempted clearances, especially from high balls, frequently spread panic among his team-mates.
Wayne Rooney will relish the part of Baldini's report that describes how Kevin Doyle's movement continually beguiled Bellaid. In the fourth minute the Wolves striker eluded his marker to meet a Damien Duff free-kick at the edge of the six-yard box. Goalkeeper is one of several positions up for grabs in the Algerian team and it looked as if Faouzi Chaouchi might have claimed it for good by saving Doyle's shot smartly but uncertainty soon returned. The keeper was not at fault for Ireland's opening goal – his defenders were dozing as Duff took a short free-kick and allowed an Irish debutant, the Derby County midfielder Paul Green, to head in Liam Lawrence's cross. Chaouchi erred for Ireland's second goal, fumbling a Duff cross into the path of a grateful Robbie Keane, and was replaced. Saadane gave a first cap to the Slavia Sofia keeper Rais Mbolhi. He, at least, was not culpable for Ireland's third, a penalty converted by Keane.
Mehdi Lacen, stationed at the base of Algeria's midfield diamond, was supposed to provide extra cover to his defence but he was too often outnumbered until Saadane tinkered at half-time, switching to a five-man midfield with Yazid Mansouri alongside Lacen in the middle, withKarim Ziani, hitherto at the tip of the diamond, shifted out to the right. Ziani, a dextrous dribbler with an eye for a cutting pass, has been in and out of Wolfsburg's side this season but he is Algeria's most creative player and dependency on him increased this week with the news that Mourad Meghni will miss the World Cup though injury. Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Karim Matmour may recover in time to provide assistance.
That will only leave the question as to whom the midfielders should supply. Algeria began with a forward duo that, though big and enthusiastic, count only six international goals between them and were as weak in the air as their defenders were. The country's top scorer, Rafik Saifi, was introduced in the second half and showed elegant touches but he, at 35, is far from certain to start in South Africa.