Norway secured their place in the last 32 of the World Cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal in New Jersey on Monday. Erling Haaland scored two goals, his second consecutive brace in the tournament, to lead his team into the knockout rounds with a game to spare.
First Half Action
Substitute Marcus Holmgren Pedersen broke the deadlock late in the first half after a dreadful mistake from Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly gave the ball away on the edge of the box. Pedersen's low drive crept under goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, giving Norway a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Norway had earlier set the tone when Kristoffer Ajer forced a fine save from Mendy with a header from a corner. However, they lost full-back Julian Ryerson to injury early on. Captain Martin Odegaard also missed a good chance, skying over an inviting cut-back from the right.
Haaland Doubles the Lead
Haaland doubled Norway's lead three minutes into the second half. Odegaard surged upfield and slid a pass through to Haaland, who buried an emphatic finish past Mendy. The Manchester City forward now has four goals in two games at the tournament, following his brace in Norway's opening 4-1 win over Iraq.
Senegal pulled one back through Ismaila Sarr, who showed great composure to poke home after tumbling to the ground following a clever flick into the area by Sadio Mane.
Haaland Strikes Again
However, Koulibaly was at fault once more, failing to clear as Haaland steered a volley in off the crossbar from Patrick Berg's cross. The goal delighted Norwegian fans, who provided a colourful backdrop with their viral rowing chant.
Mory Diaw came on for the injured Mendy in goal, but only a headed goalline clearance from Pathe Ciss prevented Oscar Bobb from netting Norway's fourth.
Late Senegal Consolation
Sarr scored his second of the night to set up a tense finish, but Norway held on to join France in the next round and leave Senegal's hopes hanging by a thread. Norway have lost only once in their last 18 matches and will face France in a compelling battle for top spot in the group in Boston on Friday.
Senegal must beat Iraq, who are also without a point, in their final game to stand a chance of avoiding an early exit.
Led by the unstoppable Haaland, who increased his astonishing international goals tally to 59 in 52 games, Norway recorded back-to-back wins at the World Cup for the first time. They added weight to the belief they can do serious damage at these finals with a dominant display against a Senegal side that paid heavily for their errors.
