Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway secured a place in the World Cup last 32 with a hard fought 3-2 victory over Senegal in New Jersey.
The Manchester City striker continued his remarkable form on the international stage, taking his tally to four goals in just two matches at the tournament. His latest brace means he has now scored twice as many World Cup goals as any other Norway player in history.
Norway took the lead late in the first half after full back Marcus Pedersen, who had come on as an early substitute, capitalised on a poor clearance from Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly and found the net.
Haaland then took centre stage after the break. The 25 year old raced on to a perfectly weighted through ball from Martin Odegaard and finished clinically in the 48th minute to double Norway’s advantage. The goal also saw him become Norway’s all time leading scorer at World Cups.
Senegal responded through Ismaila Sarr, whose strike reduced the deficit and briefly revived his side’s hopes of a comeback. However, Haaland quickly restored Norway’s two goal cushion, calmly side footing a volley against the bar and into the net for his second goal of the match.
The Norwegian forward has now scored in 12 consecutive competitive matches for his country and has registered at least two goals in each of his last six appearances.
Sarr struck again in stoppage time to make it 3-2 and set up a tense finish. The Crystal Palace winger almost rescued a point for Senegal in the closing seconds but headed over the crossbar from a promising position.
Despite the late pressure, Norway were the better side for long periods and held on for a second successive victory. The result guarantees their progression from Group I alongside France.
Senegal now face a must win final group match against Iraq if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
With four goals in two games, Haaland is making a huge impact at his first World Cup. Although he was relatively quiet during parts of the opening half, he still demonstrated his quality with a superb cushioned pass that created a chance for Odegaard.
He later dispossessed Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and appeared certain to score, only to strike the post with the goal at his mercy.
That miss was quickly forgotten after he finished off a rapid Norway counter attack early in the second half. His second goal, a composed volley with his weaker foot, ultimately proved decisive.
By the final whistle, the only surprise was that Haaland had not completed a first World Cup hat trick. With at least two more matches still to play, he will have further opportunities to add to his growing tally.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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