Kvitfjell, Norway - Klaus Kroell edged Austrian team-mate Michael Walchhofer in the men's World Cup downhill in Kvitfjell on Saturday to set up an exciting finale for the discipline's title.

It was a first downhill victory for 28-year-old Kroell whose only previous World Cup win was a super-g in Kitzbuehel, Austria on January 23.

Walchhofer, who was also second in Friday's downhill in Kvitfjell, now needs to finish no lower than 10th in the season-ender in Are, Sweden on Wednesday to make sure of the downhill crystal globe.

The title will go to an Austrian - either Walchhofer or Kroell - as Switzerland's Didier Defago, who finished a provisional 11th, is now out of the running.

Kroell posted 1 minute 32.58 seconds to edge Walchhofer by 0.27 seconds, with Canadian Manuel Osborne-Paradis - winner of Friday's downhill - third, 0.46 seconds behind Kroell.

In the race for the overall title, Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal finished a provisional 14th to close the gap on joint leaders Ivica Kostelic of Croatia and Benjamin Raich of Austria, who failed to get in the points.

Kostelic was off the pace and out of the leading 30 while Raich missed a gate and failed to finish. (dpa)