Group J: Austria Is The Match That Keeps It Honest
Argentina should win the group, but Austria can make them work harder than the draw first suggests.
Argentina open with Algeria, then meet Austria, then Jordan. The middle match is the one to circle because Austria have enough organization and pressing to make Argentina spend more energy than they want.
Winning Group J matters because the official Round of 32 path sends the Group J winner toward the Group H runner-up, while second place flips into the Group H winner. That could mean a very different first knockout assignment if Spain or Uruguay change the order in Group H.