Norway players England should worry about

Norway have never reached a World Cup quarter-final before this summer, and they have got here playing with a freedom that has unsettled bigger names than England. Everyone already rates Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, but fewer fans have clocked the seven players below, and the Norway vs England odds for Saturday’s tie in Miami reflect just how close this looks on paper.  

Orjan Nyland  

Orjan Nyland started only five league games for Sevilla all season, a lack of match sharpness that had pundits questioning Norway’s goalkeeping department before the tournament began.  

He answered that during the group stage with what has been described as a save-of-the-tournament contender in the last-32 win over Ivory Coast, then went even better against Brazil in the last 16. He saved a penalty from Bruno Guimaraes in the 14th minute, denied Vinicius Junior at his near post, then produced a stunning stop to keep out a potential Kristoffer Ajer own goal with five minutes of normal time left. Norway won 2-1. Without those saves, there is no late Haaland double to talk about.  

Leo Ostigard  

Leo Ostigard is back-up to Kristoffer Ajer and Torbjorn Heggem in central defence, but he has already had a bigger impact than most squad players get all tournament. Sent on as a substitute against Iraq in Norway’s opener, he headed home a Martin Odegaard corner to help secure a 4-1 win in Boston. Norway are the joint-tallest team at the tournament, and Ostigard’s goal was a reminder that Solbakken can turn to his defensive reserves and still find a threat at set-pieces.  

David Moller Wolfe  

David Moller Wolfe started just 11 league games for Wolves this season, enough to make his own manager nervous about picking him at a World Cup. Norway play him almost as an auxiliary winger, and it paid off against Brazil. His underlapping run in behind Brazil’s back line bought Andreas Schjelderup the extra half-second needed to find Haaland for the opening goal.  

Patrick Berg  

Patrick Berg lost his starting place before the tournament even began, then forced his way back into the team during the group stage. He was named man of the match in the last-32 win over Ivory Coast, Norway’s first ever knockout win at a major tournament, for an all-action display in midfield. Against Brazil, he had the ball in the net inside four minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out.  

Andreas Schjelderup  

Andreas Schjelderup’s biggest contribution so far has come from the bench. Norway were level on chances against Brazil until half time, when Solbakken took off Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa and sent on Oscar Bobb and Schjelderup, wanting players more comfortable working in tight areas near the box. Schjelderup delivered the cross for Haaland’s header inside the last quarter of an hour, the goal that ultimately sent Norway into their first-ever World Cup quarter-final  

Antonio Nusa  

Antonio Nusa arrived at the World Cup with a reputation to live up to. Labelled the Norwegian Neymar after his breakthrough at RB Leipzig, he completed 27 successful dribbles in qualifying, more than any other European except Jeremy Doku. He scored the opener in the 2-1 win over Ivory Coast that sent Norway into the knockout rounds for the first time, a finish the Guardian compared to his idol Neymar in his prime.  

What it means for Saturday  

Norway’s run to a first World Cup quarter-final is a team built on a goalkeeper standing up under pressure, defenders covering for each other, a full-back adding an extra body in attack and substitutes changing matches from the bench. That depth is a big part of why sports betting odds have shifted in Norway’s favour as the knockout rounds have gone on.