Norway Without Haaland

World Cup LIVE: Can Norway’s B-team upset France?

With three goals, Ousmane Dembele (right) emerged as the match winner.(Bild: GEPA, AP/Martin Meissner)

France secured first place in Group I with a 4-1 victory over Norway. A blistering first half featuring a hat trick by Ousmane Dembele was enough for “Les Bleus” to settle the matter decisively. Norway fielded a second-string lineup in this top-of-the-table clash and did not call upon superstar Erling Haaland at all. 

France has advanced to the Round of 16 at the World Cup with a perfect record. “Les Bleus” clinched first place in Group I thanks to a 4-1 (3-1) victory over Norway. For the Scandinavians, who had also already secured a spot in the next round, the stars led by Erling Haaland were limited to the bench. Ousmane Dembélé (7th, 20th, 32nd) scored three goals for France in Boston. The two-time World Cup champions will face a third-place team from another group on Tuesday in New Jersey.

The Norwegians managed to cut the deficit to 1–2 through Thelo Aasgaard (21st), but Jörgen Strand Larsen failed to convert a penalty kick in the second half, with France’s Mike Maignan making the save (50th). Desire Doue sealed the final score in stoppage time (94th minute). The Norwegians will face Ivory Coast in the Round of 32, also on Tuesday in Dallas.

Haaland Just a Spectator
The Norwegians entered the match with an almost entirely new lineup. With the exception of Fredrik Aursnes, head coach Stale Solbakken changed his entire starting lineup. Haaland was on the bench, as were Martin Ödegaard and goalkeeper Örjan Nyland. The French took the field with all their offensive stars; Didier Deschamps was absent for a sad reason. The coach of the “Bleus” is in France for his mother’s funeral. He was replaced by his longtime assistant, Guy Stephan.

It didn’t take long for the spectators to get their money’s worth. Just 22 seconds into the game, Mbappé slammed the ball against the crossbar following a Norwegian mistake. It was to be the kickoff to an entertaining first half, in which Dembélé took center stage. The Paris Saint-Germain player, named World Footballer of the Year, opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a right-footed shot curled into the far corner. Norway’s defenders made Dembélé look like mere extras—a scenario that would repeat itself twice more.

Dembele Scores a Hat Trick in 32 Minutes
Dembele made it 2-0—again following a pass from Mbappé—with a left-footed shot into the far corner; on the 3-1 goal, the 29-year-old’s finish sailed into the net after he cut inside. Norway’s by no means underworked goalkeeper Egil Selvik stretched in vain three times. According to statistics, only one man in World Cup history has scored a hat trick faster: Austria’s Erich Probst in 1954 against Czechoslovakia in 24 minutes. After 65 minutes, Dembele’s day was over. “We have to stay focused. It was important to finish first in the group. We want to win every game, and what lies ahead is even more important,” he said of his team’s performance.

Often overwhelmed defensively, the Norwegians still found opportunities on offense. Strand Larsen could have equalized just past the 15-minute mark. Aasgaard scored the 1–2 immediately after France’s second goal, right off the restart, though the French seemed a bit unfocused at that moment. In the second half, Strand Larsen then missed a chance to pull one back from the penalty spot. After Theo Hernandez left his leg out against Oscar Bobb, Haaland’s replacement failed to beat Maignan with a weak penalty kick. The French did only what was necessary, but had strong support from Maignan. The Milan goalkeeper also denied Bobb a goal about 20 minutes before the end. Doue sealed the final score with a header.