NorwayvsIraq
NOR 4/IRQ 1
Things to say
Norway beat Iraq 4-1 at Gillette Stadium in the World Cup group stage.
01
opener
Norway absolutely steamrolled Iraq 4-1. Iraq grabbed one back but it was never really a game. Haaland looked like he was playing a different sport.
02
key player
Haaland was Haaland — five shots, found the net, bullied that back line all ninety minutes.
03
hot take
Honestly, Iraq hanging in for one goal is a moral win. On another night that's 6-1.
04
deep cut
Heggem put up 80 accurate passes from the back — Norway just owned the ball, Iraq barely got a sniff.
05
exit
Anyway, if Norway keep playing like that, whoever draws them next in the group is in for an absolute paddling.
The recap
Norway absolutely paddled Iraq 4-1 at Gillette, and it was every bit as one-sided as the scoreline suggests. Haaland was the headline act as you'd expect, putting five shots up and bullying the Iraqi back line all night.
Iraq actually held shape early and Jalal Hassan made a couple of decent saves, but once Norway found the net the floodgates opened and it was game over. Group stage opener, three points in the bag, and Norway look the real deal.