Even without Haaland, Norway easily beat Sweden ahead of the World Cup.

VHO - Norway had a perfect warm-up ahead of the 2026 World Cup by defeating their arch-rivals and neighbors Sweden 3-1 in the Nordic derby that took place in the early hours of June 2nd (Vietnam time).

Norway put on a very convincing display of strength ahead of the World Cup.

In the electrifying atmosphere of the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, coach Stale Solbakken's team not only secured their 12th victory in their last 15 matches but also sent a strong warning to their rivals, boosting their confidence and giving them a huge morale boost on their journey back to the biggest football event on the planet after a long 28-year wait.

An explosive first half and the collapse of the Swedish defense.

Both Norway and Sweden are aiming for the 2026 World Cup, a historic tournament that will feature 48 national teams for the first time. Entering this highly anticipated friendly match, Norway holds the advantage, remaining unbeaten in their last five encounters with two wins and three draws.

Notably, both strategists were without several key players. While Sweden was missing striker Viktor Gyokeres, Norway was also without their biggest stars, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.

Man City's star striker, born in 2000, who just had a hugely successful season winning both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and scoring 38 goals in all competitions, was only watching his teammates play from the stands. However, his absence did not diminish Landslaget's attacking prowess.

The home team started with great enthusiasm, quickly establishing a dominant position and settling the match in the first half, completely shattering the Swedish defense.

In the 9th minute, following a precise cross from the right wing by Julian Ryerson, striker Jorgen Strand Larsen headed the ball accurately into the net from close range to break the deadlock.

Less than 10 minutes later, young talent Antonio Nusa doubled the lead with a skillful dribble from the left wing into the penalty area before unleashing a powerful and decisive shot that left goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom completely helpless.

The suffocating pressure continued to be maintained by the Nordic dancers for the remainder of the first half. In the 37th minute, Strand Larsen completed his brace, once again capitalizing on a corner kick assist from Ryerson to head the ball accurately into the net, increasing the score to 3-0 for the home team before the two teams went into halftime.

Isak scored the only goal for Sweden.

A late effort from the visiting team.

In the second half, Norway continued to control the game. The home team nearly scored a fourth goal if David Moller Wolfe's strike hadn't been disallowed by the referees for offside.

Conversely, Sweden tried to mount a comeback and score an equalizer, but they couldn't make much of a difference against their opponent's disciplined defense.

A notable highlight for the visiting team in this half was the appearance of Alexander Isak. The Liverpool striker, a former Newcastle player, was brought on from the bench in the 62nd minute.

In the 76th minute, Isak immediately made his mark with a powerful run down the left flank before executing a delicate finish, reducing the score to 1-3 for Sweden. This was all that the yellow and green team could achieve in this match.

Following this victory, Norway will extend their winning streak against Sweden to three matches.

Throughout the 90 minutes of play, the statistics reflected Norway's complete dominance, with 22 shots and 7 on target. Meanwhile, Sweden only managed 9 shots, with 5 on target.

According to the schedule, Norway will travel to the US to play their final friendly match against Morocco at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey, while Sweden will return home to Stockholm for a friendly against Greece before officially kicking off their campaign.

At the 2026 World Cup finals, Norway is drawn into a challenging Group I and will face Iraq, Senegal, and the reigning runners-up, France. Meanwhile, Sweden will be in Group F along with the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/thieu-haaland-na-uy-van-thang-de-thuy-dien-truoc-them-world-cup-233504.html