Norway wins – Best from start to finish

Mohamed Elyounoussi scores 1-0.Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

Norway wins – Best from start to finish

Norway wins by one goal to zero over Bulgaria in a Nations league match in football at Ullevål stadium in Oslo.

Near the back goalpost, «Moi» (Mohamed Elyounoussi) completed a perfect Norwegian attack involving 14 moves and seven players – from start to finish, to put it that way.

Sigurd Rosted, Ole Selnæs, Håvard Nordtveit, Omar Elabdellaoui, Markus Henriksen and Tarik Elyounoussi were all in the play before «Moi» after 15 minutes, placed 1-0 in the back of the net.

This makes Lars Lagerbäck’s «fortress» Ullevaal even stronger. 10 matches in a row without a loss, with seven wins in a row, is an awesome statistic.  «Moi» has a big share of the success.

The 24-years-old, with 20 internationals under his belt, scored his fifth goal for the national team tonight. All have come under Lagerbäck. The Swede took over the Norwegian national team in March 2017.

Joshua King also has five goals with Lagerbäck as manager. Against Bulgaria in the Nations League match tonight, the powder was not dry for the Bournemouth striker. He had two big chances in a first half where Norway played festive football against the group leader.

Chance bonanza

The first one was big. 10 minutes had elapsed when Ole Selnæs centred the ball to Haitam Aleesami with a delicate touch through the Bulgarian defence. In front of the goal, Joshua King had made space for himself. The pass was perfect. That was not the case with the finishing touch by King. From a short distance, he blasted the ball over the goal using his left foot.

10 minutes later, Stefan Johansen was the conductor. The captain played Omar Elabdellaoui free. King arrived near the back goalpost. This time he was under pressure and missed the final kick a short distance from goal.

Tiki-Taka

King was far better as a facilitator. As when he set up «Moi» with a subtle heel kick. He managed to aim at the crossbar, but his aim was just off target. In the 31st minute, we witnessed a «Moroccan» tiki-taka between Tarik Elyounoussi and Omar Elabdellaoui before «Moi» appeared on the back post and sent Norway into the lead.

After that first half, it was well deserved that Norway went to the wardrobe accompanied by standing applause.

The second half was naturally not as fast-paced. Bulgaria, which was not near to create anything in the first half, got a few chances. The biggest was, however, Norwegian, but «the mother of all chances» was squandered by none other than Joshua King.

A perfect header from Sigurd Rosted, after a free kick 84 minutes into the match, fell down at the feet of King. Before an empty goal, at four metres distance, the Bournemouth striker somehow mishit. This time with his right foot.

Heads the group

But tonight that did not matter much. Norway now heads its group in the Nations League ahead of Bulgaria.

Then it doesn’t really matter that the goal difference both could and should have been far better.

 

© VG / #Norway Today