Benfica starlet benched as Haaland dazzles against Italy (4-1) | OneFootball

Norway defeated Italy (4-1) and secured direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The Italians, in order to qualify, needed to win by more than nine goals. Andreas Schjelderup, Benfica forward who has attracted several suitors, ended up not leaving the bench.

Even so, it was Gennaro Gattuso’s side who opened the scoring. In the 11th minute, Francesco Esposito, the 20-year-old forward who plays for Inter, scored the first goal. However, the Italians slowed down and were unable to find the net again. In the second half, Norway equalized with a goal from Antonio Nusa (63’).

Erling Haaland shone and scored twice in just two minutes to secure the win for the Norwegians. The Manchester City striker put the Nordics ahead in the 78th minute and scored again in the 80th. Strand Larsen, Wolves’ forward, came off the bench in the 89th minute and still had time to seal the game in stoppage time (90+3’).

With this victory, Norway finishes qualifying with only wins, securing a place in a World Cup for the first time in 32 years. Italy, on the other hand, finishes second and will have to play a play-off to be present at the 2026 World Cup.

Andreas Schjelderup was signed in January 2023 for 9 million euros. This season, Andreas Schjelderup – valued at 15 million euros – has played 17 official matches wearing the Sacred Mantle. In the 815 minutes he spent on the pitch, the number 21 recorded two goals and two assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.