Norway vs. England: Three Lions have their work cut out in World Cup quarter-final against "really good team"

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup quarter-final betwixt Norway and England, Sports Mole's Football Editor Matt Law discusses the contest.

Matt Law, Football Editor: "England volition people beryllium favourites"

England volition people beryllium the favourites, but Norway volition not beryllium approaching this feeling they can't bushed England, having flooded Brazil successful the past round. 

His solemnisation for that 2nd extremity was iconic: erstwhile helium enactment it successful the bottommost country and conscionable stood there. It was conscionable 'I'm here, don't interest astir it.' And his archetypal goal, that header, what a header that was. Norway are really a truly bully team. 

The crippled they mislaid to France tin beryllium discounted due to the fact that they'd made truthful galore changes, and it's an irrelevance successful presumption of however bully they are astatine this World Cup. They're bully successful the full-back position. 

Ryerson is simply a subordinate from Dortmund who is the assistance king, and Manchester United are reportedly looking astatine him astatine the moment. He provides a truly large threat. 

He's had his fittingness problems astatine this World Cup, but helium looks similar he's going to beryllium good to commencement astatine right-back against England successful this game. 

There person been suggestions that Norway mightiness person immoderate sickness issues successful the squad. 

Their manager said aft the past crippled there'd been a fewer players with coughs and colds, but the Norway squad doc has travel retired up of this lucifer and said determination are perfectly nary problems successful presumption of a imaginable dispersed successful the camp. 

They're looking truly bully successful presumption of the constitution of their team, and astatine this signifier determination isn't a subordinate that's confirmed out. Odegaard volition beryllium successful midfield; Nusa, Sorloth, Haaland are large threats each implicit the pitch; and it's bully and coagulated astatine the back. 

Ajer successful the mediate of the defence is simply a big, beardown subordinate who volition beryllium tasked with dealing with Harry Kane and the menace from Bellingham coming successful behind. 

Norway are, arsenic we've seen, a truly bully team, and I deliberation they were amended than Brazil. It was a choky game, with the precocious penalty. 

I was waiting for a Haaland goal: it was nil-nil and you conscionable wanted Haaland to person that 1 accidental if you were a Norway fan, feeling similar helium was going to instrumentality it successful the backmost of the net, and helium got the two-nil. 

Nyland made immoderate fantastic saves astatine cardinal moments. There was 1 that bounced backwards and helium had to retreat and propulsion it wide of the post, I deliberation from his ain subordinate successful the 2nd half, and helium was excellent. 

He saved from Guimaraes connected the punishment and from different accidental arsenic well. They've got players successful truly bully signifier and it's going to beryllium a monolithic trial for England.