Erling Haaland scored a second-half brace to send Norway through to the World Cup quarter-finals at the expense of Brazil, who crashed out with a 2-1 defeat. The Manchester City striker dominated his Arsenal rival Gabriel Magalhaes in the air to open the scoring in the 80th minute, then added a second in the 90th minute with a low driven strike. Brazil pulled one back through a Neymar penalty deep into stoppage time, but it was too little too late.
Haaland vs Gabriel: Premier League Rivalry Resumes
The pre-match narrative centred on the ongoing feud between Haaland and Gabriel, who have clashed in recent Premier League blockbusters between Manchester City and Arsenal. This time, Haaland came out on top, powering home a header that swatted Gabriel aside in mid-air. Norway's imperious No 9 then killed off Brazil for good with a clinical finish inside the bottom corner.
Early Drama: Disallowed Goal and Missed Penalty
Norway thought they had taken the lead after just three minutes when Patrick Berg finished past Alisson, only for the offside flag to deny them. Brazil then had a golden chance from the penalty spot after Kristoffer Ajer fouled Matheus Cunha. VAR intervened, but Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes saw his tame effort saved by Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.
Brazil's Missed Chances
Brazil looked the likelier to score before half-time, but Nyland stood firm, saving smartly from Vinicius Jr. After the break, substitute Endrick blew a golden opportunity when played in on goal by Vinicius Jr, but the teenager's finish was poor. Brazil would live to regret those missed chances as Haaland struck with just 10 minutes remaining.
Haaland's Decisive Double
Haaland's first goal came from a header that left Gabriel in despair on the turf. His second, a low driven strike, sealed Norway's place in the quarter-finals. Brazil were awarded a penalty in the eighth minute of added time, which Neymar converted, but it was not enough to prevent another early World Cup exit for the Samba stars.
