The Norwegians are too strong for the Slovenians, who no longer have a chance for first place in the group

GG

14. 11. 2024, 18.31

Updated: 14.11.2024, 23.04

Slovenian coach Matjaž Kek started with the expected eleven, except that in the attack at Benjamin Šešek set up Žan Vipotnik instead of the standard one before Andraž Šporar.

The Norwegians started aggressively, pressing high, even in the fourth minute they got the ball, but then he penetrated into the penalty area from the left side already in the match in Oslo, in a good mood Antonio Nusawho, with a successful pass, got to the shot and beat it at the near post Jan Oblak. Although Norway dominated the opening minutes, the Slovenians threatened in the 19th minute when Jan Mlakar shook the crossbar with a header, and in doing so he Torbjoern Heggem made a foul so that the English referee Michael Oliver pointed to the white dot. S te was reliable with a shot down the middle Benjamin Šeško for 1:1, which was already his fifth goal in this group and the 16th in the national team.

Erling Haalandthe scorer of two goals in the game in Oslo, hit the post in the 26th minute, on the other side, after a quick counterattack, he threatened Jaka Bijolwho sent the ball just wide of the Norwegian goal three minutes later. It’s in the 38th minute Egil Selvik saved Šešek’s attempt from close range, but Slovenia showed the desired face in those moments, ever since the equalizing goal, in the 41st minute they threatened again, but in the end the Norwegian goalkeeper caught the ball. But in the 45th minute, Haaland put the Norwegians in the lead again when he quickly ran into an empty space and cashed in on a nice pass from Sander Berge. Haaland then tried to shoot again, but Oblak had no problems.

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In the 53rd minute, Šeško persistently reached the ball in the Norwegian penalty area, shot a little from the right, and intervened on the goal line Leo Oestigaard. Immediately afterwards, he intervened decisively on the other side Vanja Drkušić after the experiment Alexandra Soerlotha. Norway increased their advantage in the 59th minute, when Nus scored again from the left side of the penalty area, even with some luck, after the ball from one of the Slovenian footballers flew past Oblak in the lob. In the 68th minute, the guests staged a new dangerous action, but Oblak caught the ball, and in the case of Norway, which had everything under control at that moment, in the 77th minute, Haaland was not accurately measured. Jens Petter Hauge however, in 83, he finally sealed the fate of the Slovenians, when he himself came in front of Oblak.

In the first match, the Norwegians defeated modest Slovenia 3:0 after a long time. Our representatives quickly corrected the impression and the point gain with a victory in Kazakhstan, which today lost at home against Austria. It was 2:0 for our northern neighbors, who currently have 10 points in the table, while Slovenia and Norway have 7. The match in Stožice is therefore very important for the fight for the highest rank of the competition, where the first in the group is placed. With this in mind, the statement of our defender David Brekal understandable: “Expectations are high, we are going to win. The team looks good, we know what to expect from the Norwegians, but we will go all out and win.”

The Norwegians lacked a player in the middle with the idea of ​​more, Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaardwho played for Arsenal last Saturday after a long absence due to an ankle injury, but the London club estimated that the load in the international match would be harmful for him.

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What about the Slovenian line? Slovenia can count on the strongest line-up. He returned to the position of right winger in the defensive line of four Žan Karničnik.