Norway vs. England: Match Preview | OneFootball

It’s pretty simple if you’re England, right? Stop Haaland, stop Norway. 

The Manchester City striker sits second in the golden boot race with seven goals to his name, including the two that knocked Brazil out. 

Those goals showed that stopping him isn’t as simple as it might sound. He made a mug out of one of the world’s best center backs in Gabriel for his first before striking his second with unnerving accuracy and power. Two very different goals and more worryingly, neither were really the type of goals we’re used to seeing Haaland score.

Marauding, charging one on ones, or tap ins from within the six yard box are his more normal modus operandi. Yet here was a thumping header and a 20 yard screamer. 

Worryingly for England, we are seeing peak Haaland at this World Cup; relaxed, deadly and surrounded by players who know how to get the best out of him.

There’s something of the predator about him, much like Rudyard Kipling’s hypnotising snake Kaa in The Jungle Book – the personification of charmed coolness until he’s got you in his line of sight, and then he’s deadly. You’re done for before you realize what’s even happening.

City players hold the key

If England have anything in their favor it’s the fact that three of their defenders play alongside Haaland at Manchester City. Marc Guéhi, Nico O’Reilly and John Stones will know him inside out. 

England also has just about the only the Premier League defender who is capable of stopping him. Newcastle’s Dan Burn, who had such an effective cameo against Mexico in that epic round of 16 game, has a brilliant record against Haaland which might just be needed at some stage on Saturday.

Injuries and suspensions

England are sweating over injuries and illness. Declan’s Rice (illness) and Marc Guéhi (hamstring) haven’t trained since Sunday’s Mexico epic.

Jarell Quansah had been handed a a two-match ban after his red card against Mexico despite strong representation from the FA about the officiating that game, specifically that the referee when sent to the monitor by VAR wasn’t shown the incident at full pace, just a still and slow-mo.

As we all know, any slo-mo can make a tackle look like a deadly assault, though few can argue it was not a red. Still, a one game ban would seem more proportionate. And sadly for England, they don’t have Donald Trump to tell FIFA that Quansah can play.

So Thomas Tuchel has, yet again, issues at right back with England crossing fingers and everything else that Reece James can make it after missing the last three games.

England still favored

Nonetheless, England will go into the game favorites, and rightly so. Kane (six goals, one assist) and Bellingham (four goals, one assist) are on fire. Winger Anthony Gordon had his best game in an England shirt against Mexico, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was back to his best after an iffy spell and after such a monumental encounter confidence should be flooding through the team. 

Pickford will become England’s most capped World Cup finals player when he takes to the pitch, with 18 appearances, overtaking fellow keeper Peter Shilton. 

Indeed Norway’s tactics ahead of the game has been to pile the pressure on their opponents. 

“There’s some clear favourites out there, England’s one of them, so all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads,” Haaland told journalists.

Surprise challengers

Norway continue to be one of the enjoyable surprises of what’s turning out (on the field at least) to be a fantastic World Cup. They were mine and many people’s dark horses but they’ve been better than that and will pose serious challenges to England.

Direct and controlled, they play with purpose and are very well drilled across the pitch. They have never got this far at a World Cup and their 12 goals, on the back of a rampant qualifying campaign, shows they are brimming with confidence and are a well settled side.

Rumors of a sickness bug sweeping through the camp were dispelled by the team doctor Ola Sand, after manager Ståle Solbakken raised concerns about the e health of some of his players after the victory over Brazil.

Sand said the squad had a clean bill of health and suggested the media speculation over a sickness bug was just that, speculation.

Head to head

While England lead Noway with seven wins of their 12 previous meetings, this is the first time they go head to head in a major tournament.

Both teams boast world leading strikers but can have vulnerable defences. The midfield battle will be key while England have more goal threat across the pitch and Tuchel will be looking at his wide players to heavily impact proceedings, getting at Norway’s full backs, which are arguably their weakest spot and the best route to goal. The same can be said about England. 

Haaland has scored in 14 consecutive internationals so England’s task is clear. Stop him making it 15 and they’ve got a great chance of making it to the semis.