Africa Cup of Nations 2019, Senegal 0-1 Algeria: 5 Talking Points

Algeria came out on top of the high-profile Group C fixture at of the Africa Cup of Nations as they saw off Sadio Mane's Senegal 1-0 in a thrilling match that lived up to its expectations.

Algerian striker Mohamed Youcef Belaïli's early second half strike proved to be the difference between the two top teams as the Desert foxes held on to the slender lead by putting up a resilient defensive performance.

Senegal's streak of defeats against Algeria continues, as they lost to their familiar opponents yet again.

Though Lions of Teranga looked dangerous every time Mane got the ball at his feet, Nice left-back Youcef Atal deserves a pat on the back for holding his ground against the fleet-footed forward.

Apart from the Liverpool forward, Senegal didn't really have much to offer in the attacking third throughout the game. This came back to bite them in the latter stages of the match as the Algerians preferred to sit back and defend their one-goal lead.

With this crucial win, Djamel Belmadi's men have sealed their place in the knockout stage of the competition and may as well choose to rest their key players for the last group stage fixture against minnows Tanzania.

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#5 Sadio Mane lit up the field with his dangerous runs but failed to make an impact in his first game

Sadio Mane was the focal point of Senegalese attack

As expected, Mane put in a really inspired performance for his nation and despite their loss, his incredible form bodes well for the team that has never lifted the continental trophy.

He was all set to go from the kick-off whistle and led the Senegalese charge in the starting phase of the game as they looked to be the side in control.

Though he didn't get the required support from his attacking partners during the game, he kept trying to pull one goal back, right until the last kick of the match and came close when his header in the dying moments of the game just glazed past the bar.

He is yet to open his account at the competition, but it seems imminent that he will find the back of the net in the in their must win match against Kenya next week.

#4 Algerian players could not keep up with Senegal's energy and played rough to stop them

Algeria did not mind going physical while defending against a side clearly superior to them in terms of energy

Though it was just a group stage fixture, with not much at stake, this meeting panned out to be one of the most physical matches of the tournament so far.

A total of 53 fouls were committed by both the sides, which forced the match official to award four yellow cards.

Algeria committed 34 fouls, especially in their own half and a few of them were too close to comfort as they gave away free-kicks to their opponents right outside the penalty box early on in the game.

They were lucky enough to get away with a harsh tackle by the duo of Adlene Guedioura and Ramy Bensebaini on Mane in the box, as the latter was clearly tripped, but the officials let play go on.

This is something Algeria clearly needs to work on if they wish to progress in the competition.

#3 Match referees were too lenient in their decisions and another clear penalty was denied as VAR was absent

Algeria’s Ramy Bensebaini and Adlene Guedioura sandwiched Sadio Mane for a combined tackle.

One of the things that will get the fans eyebrows raising in the aftermath of this Group C clash is the decision making by the officials.

As the Algerian players went on to make rash tackles one after the other in desperately trying to hold on to their slender one-goal lead, the referee was more than happy to keep his hands away from the pocket. There were times when the officials completely overlooked a legitimate call for a free-kick to let the play go on.

Benlamri, who was already booked, got lucky when his challenge that caused Mane to trip on his run did not see him getting on the referee's book for the second time, despite the Senegal players engulfing the official after the incident.

VAR was sorely missed by the Senegalese, as Mane saw himself dispossessed in the Algerian box following a challenge by Guedioura and Bensebaini, who clattered into him in an attempt to stopthe Liverpool forward from unleashing a strike.

#2 Algerian defence did surprisingly well to keep the opposition's front three quiet

Algeria adopted a no-nonsense policy when it came to defending.

Though it might not have been pretty, Belmadi's men put on a resilient and united defensive effort to pull off a win against a team that had better odds heading into the fixture.

It seems they had one clear defensive strategy and that was to stop Mane from making inroads into their box and they did a pretty good job to keep the Liverpool forward silent

Not only did right-back Atal continue to irritate Mane, the center-backs also joined in the effort as they were helped with poor performances from Senegal's other attacking reinforcements.

The goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi was composed whenever it came down to him and made a crucial save in the 79th minute to deny Sabaly.

#1 Algeria have more to their game than just Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez was a constant threat for Senegal.

Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez is a player that you can never give even a slice of freedom near the 18-yard box, as his wicked left-foot can unleash a lethal strike from that distance before the keeper can even react.

Heading into the fixture having scored in their opening fixture, there was a lot of talk about this match being a battle between Mane and Mahrez.

But as the game unfolded it became clear that Algeria have a great deal of talent in their attacking third and all of them are equally lethal on counter-attacks.

The only goal of the game was also result of one such counter-attack where Feghouli chased down the ball into the right-hand corner and crossed it to the edge of the box where Belaili timed his run to perfection and found the goal that proved to be the winner.