Norway beat Ivory Coast against run of play to set up Brazil clash in last 16 | OneFootball

Norway made the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ivory Coast at Arlington, Texas’ AT&T Stadium.

Goals from Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland either side of an Amad Diallo strike were enough to secure the biggest result in the nation’s history against the run of play.

Norway will now play Brazil in the next round, after the Selecao beat Japan with a last gasp winner on Monday evening.

As it happened

Both sides started slowly, with Nicolas Pépé‘s overhit corner representing the only real opportunity of the first ten minutes.

Norway had their first potential chance of the game shortly after, but Haaland was closed down by a stubborn Ivorian defence before he was allowed to get his shot away.

Ivory Coast’s second corner at least found the box but was still headed away by Kristoffer Ajer, and Yan Diomande was unable to take advantage of a floated Guela Doue ball from the right in the follow-up attack.

As the first half wore on the Ivory Coast began to look more threatening, with Doue denied the chance to fire an effort at goal by dogged Nordic defending.

And Les Elephants had the first big chance of the game mere minutes later, only for Konan to fire into the side netting from close range after cutting inside.

Norway had their first corner of the match just before the hydration break, but in what was quickly becoming a recurring theme that delivery was wasted.

Indeed, so dull was the opening 25 minutes that David Moller Wolfe’s controversial non-carding for wiping out Diomande represented a rare moment of excitement.

The Ivory Coast continued to look lively after the hydration break, Diomande defying the momentum shift which usually occurs after such intervals to whip a ball in for Nicolas Pepe who’s wild shot was hacked away by Ajer.

Moments after missing that effort Pepe almost turned provider, but his fizzing cross was too strong for Ange-Yoan Bonny and headed behind for another corner.

And the West Africans had their sixth and seventh corners in the opening 35 minutes shortly afterwards, but were unable to create clear cut chances from either.

Finally, almost 40 minutes in, the game had a shot on target – and it fell for Norway! But Haaland was unable to generate much power on his header from a weak Alexander Sorloth cross.

From there Stole Solbakken’s men began to click into gear, as Haaland saw another effort from distance easily blocked by the Ivorian defence.

Just when it looked like a poor first half might end goalless, Nusa produced a moment of magic to break the deadlock with his ninth international goal. The RB Leipzig winger bamboozled his man before cutting inside on his right foot and lashing home into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

In the process the 21-year-old became his country’s youngest ever international scorer.

Having spent most of the first half on the back foot Landslaget began to take the game by the scruff of the neck after that opening goal. Haaland had a close range angled effort blocked at the last by Ibrahim Sangare following Sorloth’s knockdown, before Sorloth failed to head home from the resulting corner.

But Fae Emerse’s men continued to look threatening and Nusa almost went from hero to villain after giving the ball away in a dangerous area. Fortunately for the ex-Club Brugge starlet the Ivory Coast couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity or the corners that followed it.

The Ivorians continued to push for an equaliser in first half stoppage time, and saw a potential penalty claim turned down before Pepe’s blushes were spared by the offside flag after he headed a golden chance wide.

Les Elephants quickly picked up where they left off after the interval, as Doue whipped a teasing ball across goal which wasn’t met by a teammate before a 10th corner of the match was comfortably dealt with by the Red, White and Blue defence.

Emerse’s charges then had their best chance of the game through Pepe, who was denied from 12 yards out by Orjan Nyland after Doue had a fierce strike blocked.

With the West Africans forced to throw men forward in pursuit of an equaliser Norway began to find more joy on the counter attack, and following lovely Landslaget interplay Torbjorn Heggem saw an effort blocked on the line from the resulting corner.

But Les Elephants finally got the goal they deserved through super sub Diallo. Having saved his country from going 2-0 down with a crucial block just eight minutes earlier, the Man United forward showed wonderful footwork to bypass the Norweigan defence before finding the net with a pinpoint strike into the bottom corner.

And yet, it wasn’t enough, for just when the Ivory Coast were seeking the knockout blow they were hit with a sucker punch of their own.. Substitute Oscar Bobb’s sumptuous through ball teed up Sander Berge, who in turn squared to Haaland for the Man City forward to scuff home his fifth goal of the tournament.

The Ivorians had their chances to snatch a dramatic leveller in stoppage time, most notably through an audacious Dialo free kick which was stunningly saved by Nyland. But in the end Norway just about did enough to see the result out and seal a historic win.