World Cup Preview: Norway's victory is expected to advance to the World Cup, and Estonia will face the battle of honor.
At 01:00 am on November 14th, Beijing time, Group I of the European Qualifying Group Stage of the World Cup will stage a duel. The Norwegian team will face the Estonian team at the Ulleva Stadium in Oslo.
This contest in the ninth round of the group stage is crucial for Norway. The Norwegian team is unstoppable in this qualifying match, winning the first 6 games, scoring 29 goals and conceding only 3 goals. It currently ranks first in the group with 18 points, leading Italy by 3 points and has a clear goal difference. A win will almost guarantee a direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup; while the Estonian team is in deep trouble. After 7 games, it only achieved a record of 1 win, 1 draw and 5 losses, ranking second from the bottom of the group.
The Norwegian team has been in excellent competitive form recently, winning six consecutive games in the qualifying rounds. What's even more amazing is their offensive firepower. In the past two home team games, they defeated Moldova 11-1 and swept Israel 5-0. The team's performance at home games was horrific. Not only did they win all three home games in this World European Qualifiers, but they also scored 19 goals and conceded only 1 goal. The atmosphere at Ullvar is a big test for any visiting team.
Norway's offensive line is one of the most luxurious in Europe. Haaland scored 12 goals in 6 games in this World Cup preliminaries, and his competitive status is hot. He will continue to lead the front line at the home team's stadium. In addition, young talents such as Bob and Nousa will provide flank support, and Serlot can also provide fire support. Although the midfielder Odegaard is absent due to a knee injury, the return of defense general Ostigard will stabilize the defense.
The Estonian team's recent competitive state has continued to be sluggish, and it is experiencing a wave of 6 consecutive games without a win (3 draws and 3 losses). Estonia's performance in the away team is even more worrying. It has achieved 1 win and 2 losses in the three qualifying away games this season, and the away team's defensive loopholes are obvious - it conceded an average of 2.43 goals per game in the qualifying games this season.
The team is expected to adopt a pragmatic defensive counterattack strategy, with the formation mainly 5-4-1 or 4-5-1, striving to stabilize the defense first. However, the overall strength of the team is limited and often lacks effective means of advancement when switching from defense to offense. Midfielder Kate is one of the few bright spots in the Estonian team. He scored 3 goals in 7 qualifying games and is the team's top scorer.
In terms of historical confrontations, the Norwegian team has the advantage. In the past 4 meetings between the two sides, the Norwegian team has achieved a record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. In the first round of this qualifying match, Norway narrowly defeated Estonia 1-0 in the away team, leading the game in both dribbling rate and goals scored. That goal was Haaland's goal in the second half.
The Norwegian team is extremely capable of downwinding the ball, and their strong attacking power can often ensure victory when they are in the lead. Set-pieces could be a weapon for Norway to break down tight defenses - they have a high-flying threat like Haaland and a set-piece taker with superb footwork like Odegaard.
