Video: Haaland writes the closing scene: Norway overcome the Wales ambush
Norway beat their guests Wales 3-1 in a match that saw a clear turnaround during the second half, after the first period ended goalless.
Wales started brightly. Harry Wilson squandered an early chance in the second minute after a cross from Brennan Johnson, before Antonio Nusa won a free-kick in the fourth.
Norway hit back with two attempts in quick succession through Nusa and Thelo Aasgaard in the sixth and seventh minutes, though neither troubled the scoreboard, and the Wales defence blocked Martin Odegaard in the 14th minute. The chances kept coming at both ends. Daniel James had a sight of goal in the 18th minute, Aasgaard headed wide for Norway in the 19th, and a foul then went in Johnson's favour. James threatened again in the 22nd minute with a shot past the post, Odegaard's effort in the 27th struck the Wales defence, and Nusa wasted another opening in the 29th.
Goalless it stayed to the interval, despite a Norway corner in the 31st minute and a Torbjorn Heggem effort from another set-piece. Wales had to cope with a stoppage when Daniel James went down injured in the 35th minute. Egil Selvik saved James's shot in the 43rd, and the first half closed goalless after a single minute of added time.
After the restart, Wales tried to catch the hosts cold, but Brennan Johnson's shot in the 48th minute drifted wide. Norway then turned up the pressure. Sander Berge fired twice in the 54th minute, Norway won a corner in the 59th, and from it came the opener. Antonio Nusa pounced on the loose ball and drilled it with his right foot into the bottom-left corner past Karl Darlow.
Norway did not wait long to double their lead. Andreas Schjelderup made it two in the 68th minute, taking a pass from Erling Haaland and finishing with his right foot from inside the box into the bottom-right corner. The substitutions had come thick and fast by then. Mark Harris replaced Lewis Koumas in the 64th minute, Schjelderup and Patrick Berg came on for Norway in the 66th, and Wales made a triple change in the 72nd, sending on David Brooks, Rubin Colwill and Connor Roberts.
Chasing the game, Wales peppered the Norway goal in the minutes that followed. Selvik saved from Mark Harris in the 65th minute, then cleared an Ethan Ampadu effort in the 76th, and kept out Rubin Colwill in the 79th. Moments later, David Brooks pulled one back, collecting a pass from Harry Wilson and finishing with his left foot into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-1.
Norway answered by pushing for a third. Darlow saved Odegaard's shot in the 84th minute, then the hosts won a penalty in the 85th when Connor Roberts fouled Andreas Schjelderup inside the area and was booked. Harry Wilson picked up a yellow of his own in the 87th. Haaland stepped up in the 88th and buried it with his left foot into the bottom-right corner, restoring the two-goal cushion.
Wales went looking for another in the closing stages. Brennan Johnson's shot in the 89th minute, after a pass from Ben Davies, slipped past the left post, and the fourth official signalled six minutes of added time. Haaland was flagged offside in the 90+1 minute before the whistle confirmed a 3-1 win for Norway, the hosts holding firm to see out the result.
