World champions outclassed Høgmo’s men
Per-Mathias Høgmo’s national team had no chance in the World Cup qualifier against Germany. The world champions were the best in everything and won 3-0 at Ullevaal Stadium.
Thomas Müller’s 33rd national goal and Joshua Kimmichs first one punctured the match before the break. Müller completed the humiliation before the Germans took their foot off the gas.
Joshua King, who missed Norway’s only chance at a goal, was lucky to avoid being expelled when he kicked Sami Khedira in anger.
Even Hovland and Håvard Nordtveit, center-backs for the A-team for the first time, could not stop the opposing goals. They were nearest spectators to all Germany’s goals and unable to prevent any of them.
Rune A. Jarstein, who somewhat surprisingly was given the role of goalkeeper, averted a larger disaster with some class saves.
For the third time in a row, Norway lost their opening qualifying match. The opponent was not nobody Sunday, but there was nothing in the Norwegian performance to indicate that the Norwegian playoff drought will stop after nine championships.
Only group winners, a total of four out of nine participants, get to be at the World Cup in Russia. It seems like a utopian vision that Norway would be able to challenge the Germans in the battle for group victory, and with games like Sunday, it is unlikely that the team will defeat the Czech Republic and Northern Ireland. Even Azerbaijan, which is the next opponent, is intimidated by what Høgmo’s men showed.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
