Norway kicked off their UEFA Nations League campaign with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Denmark at Ullevaal Stadion with Haaland masterclass.
Erling Haaland was the star of the show, scoring twice as the hosts survived a second-half comeback from the Danes to claim all three points in a thrilling Group A4 encounter.
The match started brightly for Norway, who looked dangerous whenever they moved forward. Their positive approach paid off in the 14th minute when Oscar Bobb opened the scoring that made it 1-0.
The Manchester City winger finished a well-worked move after receiving a precise pass from captain Martin Odegaard, giving the home fans an early reason to celebrate.
Just four minutes later, the Norwegians doubled their advantage through Haaland who made sure his finish was perfection.
Antonio Nusa provided the assist with an excellent delivery into the box, and the prolific striker made no mistake as he powered home his finish to make it 2-0 after only 18 minutes.
The goal continued Haaland’s impressive scoring form for his country and put the host firmly in control of the contest. Denmark responded well after the difficult start and gradually found their rhythm.
Their persistence was rewarded in the 25th minute when Mikkel Damsgaard pulled a goal back. The midfielder produced a composed finish to reduce the deficit and give the visitors renewed hope before halftime.
The home side still led 2-1 at the break, but the momentum had started to shift towards the visitors. Denmark carried that momentum into the second half and continued to push for an equaliser.
Their pressure finally paid off in the 60th minute when Rasmus Hojlund found the back of the net which opened the game between both teams.
The striker reacted quickly inside the penalty area to score and bring the vistors level at 2-2, completing an impressive comeback from two goals down.
With the match finely balanced, both sides searched for a winning goal. The host created several chances through Haaland and Nusa, while their opponent looked dangerous on the counterattack.
The decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute when the Manchester City striker struck again to help restore the lead for his country.
Following a Norwegian corner, the ball fell kindly for the striker, who showed his predatory instincts to score his second goal of the match and restore Norway’s lead at 3-2.
The goal proved to be an important one with the home team doing everything possible to make sure they did not surrender again.
The Dennish national team refused to give up and pushed forward in search of another equaliser which they couldn’t make happen.
Hojlund and Damsgaard both threatened, while Patrick Dorgu continued to deliver dangerous balls into the Norwegian penalty area.
However, Norway’s defence held firm during the closing stages and protected their narrow advantage until the final whistle.
The victory gives Norway a perfect start to their Nations League campaign against Denmark who gave their best but fell short 3-2 after 90 minutes of action.
Odegaard controlled much of the play from midfield, Nusa contributed an assist and constant attacking threat, while Haaland once again delivered when his country needed him most.
Damsgaard and Hojlund both found the net, and the visitors showed great character to fight back from 2-0 down. However, defensive lapses in the opening stages ultimately proved costly.
In the end, it was the Manchester City striker’s brace made the difference as Norway secured a memorable 3-2 win over their Scandinavian rivals in a match packed with quality attacking football.
