Brazil-Norway 1-2
GOALS: 34′ st Haaland, 45′ st Haaland, 45′ + 10′ st Neymar (pen).
BRAZIL (4-2-3-1): Alisson 6; Danilo 5.5, Marquinhos 6, Gabriel 5, Douglas Santos 5.5; Bruno Guimaraes 5 (34′ st Ederson Silva 6), Casemiro 5.5; Rayan 6 (23′ st Danilo Santos 6), Martinelli 5.5 (23′ st Neymar 6), Vinicius 6; Cunha 6.5 (13′ st Endrick 5). On the bench: Ederson Moraes, Weverton, Alex Sandro, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Ibanez, Fabinho, Raphinha, Luiz Henrique, Igor Thiago. Coach: Ancelotti 5.5
NORWAY (4-3-3): Nyland 8; Ryerson 6 (19′ st Aursnes 6), Ajer 5.5, Heggem 6.5, Wolfe 6.5 (45′ +5′ st Ostigard 5.5); Odegaard 6.5, Berge 6.5, Berg 7; Sorloth 5.5 (1st st Bobb 6.5), Haaland 8, Nusa 6 (1st st Schjelderup 7). On the bench: Tangvik, Selvik, Bjorkan, Pedersen, Langas, Falchener, Thorsby, Thorstvedt, Aasgaard, Hauge, Strand Larsen. Coach: Solbakken 7.
REFEREE: Elfath (Morocco) 5.5
NOTES: clear sky, pitch in good condition. In the 14th minute, Nyland saves a penalty from Bruno Guimaraes. Booked: Neymar. Corners 5-5. Recovery time 6′ st, 7′ +5′ st.
An extraordinary Haaland and Nyland’s saves put the signature on the 2-1 with which Norway beats Brazil, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in its history. The match was decided entirely in the second half, thanks to a brace from the Manchester City centre-forward. In the quarterfinals, Norway will face the winner of the match between Mexico and England, while the elimination of Ancelotti’s Brazil takes away one of the most anticipated protagonists of these World Cups. After less than three minutes, the Scandinavians score with Berg but the referee disallows it for offside. The turning point of the match came in the 11th minute, when Ajer landed clumsily in the Cunha area. The referee does not award the penalty, but after the VAR’s warning he changes his decision and awards it. Bruno Guimaraes appears from the spot, but is hypnotized by Nyland who saves the result. At the half hour mark, the Sevilla goalkeeper gets his foot in on a tricky ball put in by Martinelli from the left. In full stoppage time, Solbakken’s men ate away their possible advantage. Haaland plays with Marquinhos, the rebound rewards him and the ball ends up on the left foot of Odegaard, who however has the shot saved by Alisson. We go to half-time at 0-0.
The first chance of the second half materializes in the 13th minute when Endrick, who had come on for a few seconds, is put in front of the goal by a splendid assist from the right winger from Vicinius, but he wastes everything by finishing wide. Four minutes later, Nyland almost saves Rayan’s right-foot shot from the edge of the box. The match broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Schjelderup goes to the left and paints a kissing cross with his right foot in the center of the area which is pounced on by the usual Haaland, who jumps on Gabriel’s head and passes Alisson for 1-0. In the 40th minute, Nyland saved Ajer from a sensational own goal by making a prodigious diving save. Once the scare was over, Haaland and his teammates closed the score in the 45th minute when the Manchester City striker, again served by Schjelderup, unleashed an uncatchable left-footed shot from the edge of the area which went into the far corner, beating Alisson once again. At the end of injury time, new substitute Ostigard widens his elbow in the area on Casemiro following an aerial tackle and the referee awards the penalty. Neymar, in what is his last appearance at the World Cup in a green and gold jersey, displaces Nyland and scores the 2-1. The match will end a few moments later.