The Scandinavian side looked in control for large parts of the contest, but Senegal pushed them all the way before falling narrowly short in an entertaining Group-stage encounter.
Norway started aggressively, forcing four corners inside the opening four minutes and immediately putting Senegal under pressure. Kristoffer Ajer came close to opening the scoring from one of those set-pieces, but his header was comfortably gathered by Edouard Mendy.
Martin Odegaard also tested the Senegal goalkeeper as Norway continued to dominate possession and territory. Their breakthrough eventually arrived in the 44th minute when Marcus Pedersen capitalised on a loose clearance from Kalidou Koulibaly and rifled a low effort beyond Mendy.
Pedersen’s goal was particularly significant given he had only entered the match after Julian Ryerson was forced off through injury early in the first half.
Despite a relatively quiet opening 45 minutes, Haaland nearly doubled Norway’s advantage before the interval when he rounded Mendy but struck the foot of the post from a tight angle.
The striker needed just three minutes after the restart to make amends. Odegaard produced a perfectly weighted through ball that released Haaland, who powered his finish past Mendy to make it 2-0.
Senegal responded quickly. Sadio Mane combined brilliantly with Ismaila Sarr, who held off his marker before finishing confidently past Orjan Nyland in the 53rd minute to reduce the deficit.
Norway restored their two-goal cushion almost immediately. Patrick Berg delivered a dangerous low cross into the box and Haaland reacted quickest, adjusting his body superbly before volleying home off the underside of the crossbar.
Senegal refused to surrender and continued creating opportunities. Their hopes received a boost when Mendy was forced off through injury, while Pathe Ciss produced a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Oscar Bobb and keep the contest alive.
The African side struck again deep into stoppage time as Sarr grabbed his second goal of the night, but his late header over the crossbar moments later denied Senegal a dramatic equaliser.
Haaland’s brace took him level with four goals in the tournament, alongside Kylian Mbappe, and just one behind Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. The Manchester City striker has now scored in 12 consecutive matches for Norway, underlining his remarkable international form.
The victory guarantees Norway a place in the knockout stages and sets up a decisive clash with France for top spot in the group. Senegal, meanwhile, must now defeat Iraq in their final match and hope results elsewhere work in their favour as they chase qualification as one of the best third-placed teams.
While Sarr’s impressive brace highlighted Senegal’s attacking quality, Norway’s clinical finishing and Haaland’s ruthless edge ultimately proved decisive on another memorable World Cup night.
