(Albania – Norway 0-7) Norway struggled for a long time against weak Albania, but after 60 minutes it loosened up properly.
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Norway tops its World Cup qualifying group two points ahead of Poland, and with Thursday’s victory they keep the ship with the bow in the direction of Australia and New Zealand and the World Cup in 2023.
It started messy. But after 22 goals, Norway scored. Frida Maanum went on a great run and was played through by Guro Reiten, Maanum finished from about five meters. Albania almost managed to get a leg up on it. But it was on target.
– It came eventually. I do not think the first half is brilliant. It was a bit trodden. It chopped a bit, goal scorer Guro Reiten told NRK.
Adjustments during the break
– We control the match, but we create a little too little clear goal chances, Martin Sjögren told NRK during the break.
He talked about some adjustments during the break.
– We have to get a little better in the last phase, with the last post, the national team coach told NRK.
And five minutes into the second half, Norway was on the ball. Lisa-Marie Karlseng Utland played goal scorer Maanum. She put it in the net, but it was blown offside.
–But then there were several Norwegian goals, and when it finally came loose, there were two goals in three minutes. First, Guro Reiten put a free kick directly into goal from 16 meters and a few centimeters, the ball went in the right corner for goalkeeper Viona Rexhepi.
Then goal scorer Reiten cornered, Ingrid Syrstad Engen got the ball on – and in front of goal stood Maria Thorisdottir and put it in goal.
And Reiten was at work in Albania. After 71 minutes, she came playing down at the dead line, she put brilliantly in to substitute Karina Sævik, who headed the ball into goal. And then it was 4-0 to Norway.
Albania extinguished
The evening was also over for Albania. Really over. They played slowly and surely, but ever faster, out of the match in the second half. It became clearer and clearer why they are ranked number 75 in the world. And there would be more. Albania opted out. There was no more left.
Frida Maanum scored Norway’s fifth goal, before Vilde Hasund scored number six in her national team debut. Elisabeth Terland scored the seventh and final of the match. Common to many of the goals was that Guro Reiten had many goal scorers, four in total.
– It was fun to score. It was a security that we led 5-0, we just had to play offensively, says Hasund about the score in the national team debut to NRK.
Norway has met Albania twice before, in 2013 it ended 11-0 to Norway away, the following year Norway won 7-0 at home.
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