(Norway-Slovakia 1-1) On its way to Slovakia, experts wondered: How could this Norway team not make it to the European Union? The answer came four minutes before the end.
The short version
- Norway and Slovakia played 1-1 in an international match at the Ulleval Stadium
- Norway dominated the first half, but was unable to achieve victory
- The penalty kick taken by Erling Braut Haaland gave Slovakia a new impetus, and Ondrej Duda equalized in the final minutes.
- TV 2 expert Jesper Mathisen expressed his disappointment with Norway's performance
- Group rivals Georgia are ready for the European Championship after beating Greece on penalties
Ståle Solbakken's men wreaked havoc on the EC-ready Slovaks in the first half, but were unable to close out the game.
Erling Braut Haaland's missed penalty gave the visitors a new lease of life and Slovakia had several great chances.
Four minutes from time, it happened many times before in the last years of the national team. Errors in Norway's back row gave Slovakia a great chance, and Ondrej Duda shot it beautifully into the far corner.
– One begins to wonder if there is a hidden camera. You wonder if you're watching the same game over and over again, NRK expert and Vikings player Christopher Luckberg tells VG.
-Once again, Norway is capable of screwing things up on its own. You can hardly believe what you see, says TV 2 expert Jesper Matthiessen.
VG Stock Exchange: Østigård is close to the bottom tier after fouls
As the home team's fans booed, the Norwegian players had to realize that victory had been lost here as well.
– I apologize to everyone. “It's up to me because we didn't win today,” Haaland wrote on Instagram after the match.
-
Leo Skerry Østegaard missed the ball that gave Slovakia the equaliser. -
-
Oscar Popp was the healthiest of Norway's many good guys in the first 45 games.
“The track is a pitch, but when Bob gets the ball, it slides like a green pitch. Strange at that. What a player!” TV 2 expert Yaw Amankwa writes on X.
Norway played some great football, but the result that pushed the national team into the lead was of a somewhat controversial kind. Sander Berge had two tries after a corner kick. In the end, Sorloth picked up the rebound and scored his 18th goal for the national team.
Norway entered the break with 15 points. They haven't had many breaks since encounters with Gibraltar in 2021.
– I wonder how Slovakia entered the European Union and Norway did not, said Jesper Matthiessen after seeing Norway's woes in the first half.
It was a welcome sight for cool house fans in Ullevaal. After the break, Norway continued its control and won a penalty kick five minutes after the start of the first half.
With star player Erling Braut Haaland on target, there was little concern about giving the ball away, but goalkeeper Marek Rodak reached the post and beat Haaland's penalty kick for a corner kick.
-
Rodak saves Haaland's penalty kick! The striker put the ball on the grass towards the right corner, but the Slovakia goalkeeper made a wonderful save. -
-
The fifth penalty kick that Yarbowen missed in his career. His first with Norway.
Since then, Norway has become more tense, forcing Slovakia to play more and more in the match. Finally, the equalizer came.
Leo Skiri Østigård wanted a free kick after the challenge, but he didn't get it. Later, Kristoffer Agger was also marked negatively when he was easily tricked by goalscorer Duda inside the penalty area.
– It's painful to watch this. It's very simple. Østigård can complain about that. We can complain about the pitch and that it has been pushed, but these are the situations we have to get out of, says TV 2 expert Solveig Gullbrandsen.
– Østigård has to be in control a hundred times out of a hundred, says Jesper Mathisen.
Three minutes into extra time, the Slovakian team was also very close to victory.
note. Georgia, Norway's group opponent, is ready to participate in the European Championship after its playoff win on penalties over Greece.
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”
