Wales claimed their first victory of the year, coming from behind to beat 10-man Norway in Cardiff on a night when Erling Haaland drifted on the periphery of proceedings. Daniel James cancelled out Oscar Bobb’s well-worked opener before half-time, and Torbjørn Heggem’s dismissal seconds after the restart allowed Neco Williams to settle the Nations League contest from a free-kick.
Craig Bellamy had been under no illusions about the task facing his side, describing Norway as one of the best teams in the world and one riding the crest of a wave after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals. Martin Ødegaard, the Arsenal and Norway captain, was the visitors’ creator in chief, and it was little surprise that he was the architect of the opener. The midfielder took the ball off Sander Berge and rolled a soft, weighted pass behind Ben Davies, with Bobb scurrying in behind the Wales captain to beat Danny Ward at the near post. Bobb was one of two Fulham players and one of five Premier League regulars in Norway’s starting lineup.
Wales had welcomed back Lewis Koumas as part of five changes from Sunday’s defeat in Denmark, and another player promoted to the starting lineup provided the catalyst for the equaliser. Liam Cullen, who joined Leicester from Swansea in the summer, pinched the ball from Berge after the Fulham midfielder was sluggish in claiming Fredrik Aursnes’s pass, and Wales raced away in possession. Cullen and Koumas burst forward before Sorba Thomas, a constant danger on the flank, sent a low cross into the box, where James beat David Møller Wolfe to the ball. It was Wales’ first goal of the campaign.
Wales had responded well after going behind, and Norway appeared a little complacent. Thomas elected to square the ball for James rather than shoot when in on goal, allowing Møller Wolfe to intervene, and then the Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer diverted a Thomas cross wide for a corner. Norway equally should have doubled their lead: Ben Cabango, the Swansea defender asked to mark Cristiano Ronaldo and Haaland over the past week, was grateful that Berge’s cross cannoned off him and straight into the hands of Ward after he got his feet in a muddle in front of goal.
It was one of those halves for Haaland, who recorded only 11 first-half touches, the fewest of any player, including the Dortmund full-back Julian Ryerson, who was forced off through injury after 16 minutes. Ethan Ampadu easily won what technically went down as a duel on halfway, but in truth Haaland simply stuck out a flailing leg in the hope of catching the ball. His only whiff of goal before the interval came a couple of minutes before it, when Ryerson’s replacement, Marcus Pedersen, misread Haaland’s movement and the moment passed.
Norway were punished for being slow out of the blocks at the start of the second half. A ponderous Heggem hauled down James after the Leeds winger soared on to a hooked and hopeful Davies clearance, and the Spanish referee, Alejandro Hernández, sent him off and awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box. Williams dispatched a wonderful right-foot strike to Ørjan Nyland’s right, to the surprise of the former Aston Villa and Reading goalkeeper. Bobb played draught excluder behind a white wall of Norway shirts and Nyland stepped to his left, leaving him out of position as he had to shuttle across his goalline and Williams thrashed the ball into the bottom corner.
It was the 58th minute when Haaland had his first chance, climbing above Davies but failing to make clean contact with his header after meeting Møller Wolfe’s cross from the left. Moments later another Thomas cross caused more problems for Norway’s back line, Jordan James attempting to flick a boot at the ball while Ajer swung and missed. Ståle Solbakken turned to Jørgen Strand Larsen and Antonio Nusa with 15 minutes of normal time remaining.
Wales spurned a golden chance to extend their advantage when the substitute Josh Sheehan sent a weak shot at Nyland after more fine craftsmanship from Thomas released the Bolton midfielder in on goal. Up the other end, Haaland ambled across the box before Pedersen sent another cross in from the right, and when the ball was whipped in Haaland soared highest but, unmarked, headed straight at Ward. Then came a puff of the cheeks and a look to the turf. It has been that kind of week.