Haaland wearing a white shirt is a monster

When everything becomes complicated, when the clouds are darker than ever, in those moments when a small team begins to fall apart, having a figure like Haaland completely changes the landscape. Haaland is Norway. He dragged his country back from the abyss and carried them into the next round of the World Cup. A late, almost accidental goal, a touch towards the net that seemed to crawl over the line in tears, turned him into the hero of a match in which he had barely made an impact. Five goals at the World Cup and yet another reminder that few players are as ruthless inside the penalty area as him.

The reality is that Norway had to rely on its third phenom, the youngest and perhaps the least known, to take the lead against Côte d’Ivoire. Antonio Musa, the player who resembles and idolises Neymar, the winger signed by Leipzig, scouted, as always, for his finishing ability after what he produced at Club Brugge, announced himself to the world in spectacular fashion. A thunderous strike from the Norwegian with a Nigerian father, a work of art that, naturally, his greatest inspiration would have been proud to put his name to.

It was an open game that produced fewer goals than expected. A paradox. Football without defences is a striker’s paradise, the stage on which any forward looks better than he really is, the environment where those who understand the attacking side of the game feel most comfortable. Both the Norwegians and Ivorians suffered because of that, with both sides attacking as much as they wanted.

Haaland was isolated, although he came close to making it 0–2, and Norway gambled everything on surviving with a vulnerable defence while Côte d’Ivoire continued to struggle in front of goal. However, the introductions of Wahi and Amad Diallo injected new energy into their attack and punished Norway. A brilliant one-two involving Pépé was finished by Amad, a little devil who, with his left foot, produced another trademark goal in the purest Messi style: the ball glued to his foot, a change of direction on a single tile and the finish.

Norway appeared dead, as did their footballing leader, Ødegaard, but there are arguments that go beyond logic and tactics. One of them is having Haaland. A brilliant combination between Bobb and Berg ended up exactly where the City striker always seems to be: the territory reserved for number nines, for killers, for forwards who can solve problems even on their worst nights. Few players in the world are as capable of that as the Norwegian, especially when the goalkeeper, as happened with Nyland, keeps everything intact in the final moment. Norway can be grateful for that.

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C. Marfil

• 1 Yahia Fofana
• 3 Konan (92')
• 20 Emmanuel Agbadou
• 7 Kouakou Odilon Kossounou
• 17 Guela Doué
• 18 Ibrahima Sangare
• 19 Nicolas Pepe (86')
• 8 Kessié Franck
• 26 Christ Inao Oulaï (59')
• 11 Yan Diomande (92')
• 9 Ange-Yoan Bonny (59')
• Substitutes
• 23 Alban Lafont
• 16 Mohamed Koné
• 5 Wilfried Stephane Singo
• 21 Obite Ndicka
• 15 Amad Diallo Traore (59')
• 13 Christopher Operi
• 22 Evann Guessand (92')SC
• 2 Ousmane Diomande
• 12 Sepe Elye Wahi (59')
• 14 Oumar Diakité (86')SC
• 25 Parfait Guiagon
• 24 Bazoumana Touré (92')SC
• 10 Simon Adingra
• 4 Jean Seri
• 6 Fofana

Norway

• 1 Ørjan Haskjold Nyland
• 17 Torbjorn Heggem
• 5 David Møller Wolfe
• 16 Marcus Pedersen (82')
• 3 Vassbakk
• 10 Odegaard
• 6 Patrick Berg
• 8 Berge
• 20 Antonio Nusa (70')
• 7 Sörloth (70')
• 9 Erling Braut Haaland
• Substitutes
• 12 Sander Tangvik
• 21 Andreas Schjelderup (70')
• 14 Aursnes (82')
• 25 Henrik Falchener
• 15 Fredrik Andre Bjørkan
• 24 Sondre Langås
• 13 Egil Selvik
• 11 Jorgen Strand Larsen
• 18 Kristian Thorstvedt
• 23 Jens Hauge
• 4 Leo Skiri Ostigard
• 19 Thelo Aasgaard
• 26 Julian Ryerson
• 22 Oscar Bobb (70')
• 2 Morten Thorsby

Substitutions

Amad Diallo (59', Christ Inao Oulaï), Elye Wahi (59', Ange-Yoan Bonny), Andreas Schjelderup (70', Antonio Nusa), Oscar Bobb (70', Alexander Sørloth), Fredrik Aursnes (82', Marcus Pedersen), Oumar Diakité (86', Nicolas Pépé), Evann Guessand (92', Yan Diomande), Bazoumana Touré (92', Ghislain Konan)

Goals

0-1, 38': Antonio Nusa, 1-1, 73': Amad Diallo Traore, 1-2, 85': Erling Braut Haaland

Cards

Referee: Jesús Valenzuela
VAR Referee: Juan Lara, Juan Ernesto Soto Arévalo
Antonio Nusa (45',Yellow)