Haaland scores, Norway continues to fly high
Despite having to travel to Tallinn to face the home team Estonia, Norway still showed the mettle of a team on the way to a strong comeback.
Led by Martin Ødegaard in midfield and goalscorer Erling Haaland in attack, the Nordic team won 1-0, raising their total points to 12 after 4 matches, firmly at the top of Group G.
The only goal was scored in the 73rd minute after a sharp counter-attack initiated by Ødegaard himself. Haaland did not miss the opportunity, although his finishing had to rely on the help of... the crossbar and the Estonian goalkeeper.
The joy that exploded after the goal clearly showed the determination of the striker born in 2000 to help Norway attend the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Modric and Croatia's veteran players crushed the Czech Republic
At home in Osijek, Croatia had a top performance when they crushed the Czech Republic with a score of 5-1. Despite being equalized in the beginning of the second half, coach Zlatko Dalic's team still knew how to break away spectacularly with the excellence of veteran pillars such as Modric, Perisic, Budimir and Kramaric.
Modric – at 38 – is still the spirit of the game, both scoring directly from the penalty spot and assisting Kramaric to seal the victory. The combination of the golden generation’s experience and the youth from the bench helps Croatia close in on the top spot, even though they still have 2 games left to play.
Belgium overcomes Wales, De Bruyne becomes hero
Having been forced to win after a disappointing draw against North Macedonia, Belgium went into their match against Wales under heavy pressure. However, within the first 13 minutes, they scored 3 goals thanks to Lukaku (penalty), Tielemans and Doku.
But the drama only began after that. Wales scored three goals – two of them in the second half – and seemed to have snatched a point back when Kevin De Bruyne scored in the 88th minute.
A left-footed volley after a perfect assist from Tielemans not only helped the “Red Devils” keep the 3 points but also saved coach Rudi Garcia from the risk of being fired. Belgium is currently ranked third in Group J, but still has two games left to play and the opportunity to continue is completely open.
Italy narrowly beat Moldova, coach's seat still shaky
A 2-0 win over Moldova earned Italy their first three points in qualifying, but was not enough to ease criticism following their 3-0 defeat to Norway earlier.
In an unconvincing match, Italy had to rely on moments of brilliance from Raspadori and Cambiaso to deal with their opponents ranked 154th in the world .
Under coach Luciano Spalletti – who is expected to leave after this month’s games – Italy played with a lack of confidence, loose organisation and repeatedly allowed Moldova to close in on Donnarumma’s goal.
Despite keeping a clean sheet, with current form, the EURO 2020 champion's path to the 2026 World Cup still has many potential risks.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/haaland-va-modric-ghi-dau-an-de-bruyne-cuu-nguy-cho-bi-italia-van-chong-chenh-141555.html
Comment (0)