New Jersey: Norway advanced to the Round of 32 after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal in their second Group I match in front of a sold-out crowd of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium on Monday. Erling Haaland spearheaded the attack with a crucial brace following an opener from substitute Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, while Ismaïla Sarr’s double kept Senegal fighting until the final whistle.
With France defeating Iraq 3-0 in the group’s other fixture, both European sides have officially secured their spots in the knockout stages. Despite the loss, Senegal remains in the hunt to progress as one of the best third-placed teams if it can defeat Iraq in their final group match.
Drama from the opening whistle
Coming off a 3-1 defeat to France at the same venue, Senegal withstood an early onslaught of corner kicks after torrential rains engulfed the city. Goalkeeper Édouard Mendy kept the Lions of Teranga level early on with a brilliant goal-line save, denying Kristoffer Ajer's downward header.
Senegal gradually seized control of possession, while Norway suffered an early blow in the 12th minute when right-back Julian Ryerson was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury. He was replaced by Marcus Holmgren Pedersen—a substitution that would prove prophetic. Minutes later, Martin Ødegaard sent a shot over the crossbar but continued to orchestrate the play, firing up the vociferous, red-clad Norwegian crowd.
Norway’s best chance of the half arrived in the 37th minute. Haaland expertly controlled a volley from the left and picked out an unmarked Martin Odegaard inside the box, but a quick-reacting Mendy once again denied the Arsenal playmaker.
Pedersen breaks the deadlock
The breakthrough came two minutes before the interval, sending the stadium into a frenzy. Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly misjudged Ødegaard’s through-ball intended for Haaland, allowing Pedersen to pounce on the error. The substitute clinical finished past Mendy to claim his first international goal.
Haaland nearly doubled the cushion in first-half injury time after forcing a mistake from the Senegalese keeper, but his agonizing finish struck the woodwork. This sent Vikings fans into a frenzy who had painted the stadium red.
A second-half goal frenzy
The match erupted after the break with three goals in a breathless 10-minute window.
In the 48th minute, Odegaard sliced through two defenders with a precise pass to Haaland, who punished loose defending to net his third goal of the tournament. Senegal responded fiercely in the 53rd minute; Sadio Mané did the heavy lifting on the flank to find Ismaïla Sarr, who exposed Norway's backline to pull one back in the 58th minute.
Haaland quickly restored the two-goal cushion, linking up with Antonio Nusa and Patrick Berg. Berg’s cross found the menacing Manchester City striker, who calmly lofted a volley over Mendy into the net. Mendy was injured during the play and had to be substituted.
Senegal refused to surrender, reducing the deficit in the stoppage time. Sarr displayed a magnificent first touch on the penalty spot to lose his marker before drilling home his second of the night. Norway's players started tiring up and picking up injuries. They were reduced to 10 men at one point of time but held on to the slender lead to advance.
