Erling Haaland scored twice to take his World Cup tally to four goals in two matches as Norway edged Senegal 3-2 in a nervy Group I encounter at the FIFA World Cup in New Jersey on Tuesday, 23 June. The result confirms Norway's place in the knockout stage, though the closing stages tested the team's resolve to its limits.

Haaland's Clinical Display

The Manchester City striker opened his account once again after having netted a brace in Norway's 4-1 opening win over Iraq. His double helped Norway build a commanding 3-1 lead before Senegal pulled one back to make it 3-2, triggering a frantic finale. Norway head coach Stale Solbakken was effusive in his praise, while also noting that Haaland left at least one goal on the table. 'He missed an open goal today, so he could have scored even more. He is one of the best strikers in the world. He is not playing for France or Argentina. He is scoring goals for Norway,' Solbakken said after the match.

A Nightmare Final Ten Minutes

Solbakken described the closing stages as among the most harrowing of his managerial career. 'Four or five of our players had cramps,' he said. 'For a period, we were effectively playing with only nine or 10 players, and there was also a clearance off the line. It was a nightmare.' Norway's grip on the game dissolved after Senegal reduced the deficit, with the European side unable to deal with crosses and visibly struggling physically. 'That was the only period of the game when I felt we did not have control,' Solbakken acknowledged. 'We could not stop the crosses, and we were suffering physically.'

Praise for Senegal

Despite the victory, Solbakken was candid about the quality of the opposition. He described Senegal as one of Africa's strongest teams and acknowledged that a slightly below-par performance could have cost Norway dearly. 'If we had played only slightly worse, we would have been in trouble,' he said. 'We beat a very good team with a lot of tournament experience.' The result underlines Norway's credentials as genuine contenders, but also exposes their vulnerability when the physical demands of a match catch up with them.

Changes Ahead for France Clash

Norway face France in their final Group I match on Friday, with both sides already through to the knockout stage. Solbakken confirmed that several players will be rested, with six or seven having come close to cramping against Senegal. 'We will make changes against France,' he said. 'It is not because we do not want to beat them, but because we need to put a different team on the pitch.' He added that Norway's travel schedule compounds the recovery challenge and that detailed tactical preparations for France have not yet begun. 'Some other players will get their chance,' he said.

Norway's Knockout Stage Ambitions

With two wins from two and momentum building around Haaland's form, Solbakken struck a confident note about Norway's prospects beyond the group stage. 'We have to play as well as we did today. If we do that, we can beat a lot of teams,' he said. Notably, this is the kind of tournament run that Norway's golden generation — built around Haaland — has long been expected to mount, and the early signs suggest they are ready to deliver on that promise.