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Are Erling Haaland’s Norway a one-man team?
Ahead of the World Cup, Norway were being billed as a dark horse, and so far, they have lived up to that label.
Matches full of goals, claiming a major scalp in Brazil in the Round of 16, Norway now prepares for a huge test tonight against England.
There is no secret who Norway’s biggest star is and that is striker Erling Haaland, who has lit up the tournament and will be giving England manager Thomas Tuchel plenty of headaches.
But with Haaland being his country’s main attacking threat, is it right to assume Norway are indeed a one-man team?
Haaland’s World Cup stats show how vital he is
Norway are truly blessed to have a generational talent in Haaland, and in his first World Cup, he has left his mark.
He has scored seven of Norway’s 12 goals in their five tournament matches, and when it comes to his numbers per 90 minutes, Haaland’s goalscoring ability shines even brighter.
Norway currently averages 2.4 goals, with Haaland posting 1.75 goals on his own. This is also reflected when it comes to shots on target per 90 minutes, Norway manages five, with Haaland producing three.
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It’s clear from the above numbers that most of Norway’s attacking threat does go through Haaland, but it is naïve to think that without him, his country does not function.
Instead of making Norway a one-man team, Haaland is instead the end product of a hard-working team that knows how to get the best out of him.
The relentless winger who opens space for Haaland
If Haaland is to find himself in those areas where he is lethal in front of goal, a lot of this will have been created by winger Alexander Sorloth.
Haaland is Norway’s best chance of scoring goals, therefore, he will be given the licence to linger until the opportunity presents itself, meaning Sorloth has to be a more creative force.
When you put Sorloth’s stats up against Haaland’s when it comes to passing, it is clear to see that the former is the link between midfield and the star man.
| Alexander Sorloth | Erling Haaland | |
| Total passes | 103 | 47 |
| Successful passes | 81 | 31 |
| Passing accuracy | 78.64% | 65.96% |
Haaland is someone who tends to spend most of his time around the opposition box, having very few touches of the ball, until he inevitably sticks it in the back of the net.
Sorloth meanwhile, tends to drift wide and create attacking chances as shown with the heat map below.
So for Haaland, to be allowed to roam and appear when it matters most, Sorloth is vital in creating the space and chances for ‘The Striking Viking’ to thrive.
Odegaard the midfield king
The other star name amongst Norway’s ranks is Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard, who has taken to this tournament like a duck to water.
He has been clinical and has three assists to his name during the World Cup so far.
But it’s not just in front of goal where Odegaard is making a difference, he is a player who rarely wastes possession.
Completing 237 out of his 256 passes and a passing accuracy of 92.58%, Odegaard is willing to make these passes in the key areas for Norway, as shown by the graphic below.
He is crucial in being the driving force in midfield who dictates the play and takes Norway’s attack in the next phase as they look to put Haaland in the best position to wreak havoc on his opponents.
Is Haaland’s Norway a one-man team?
In short, no.
Haaland may be taking all the plaudits, but he has a machine behind him which keeps the team ticking.
From Sorloth’s work on the wing to Odegaard driving through midfield, there is no surprise that Norway are able to mix it with the big boys of international football despite having a smaller pool of players to pick from.
Facing an England team on a high is a big test for Norway, but with how their key players are currently performing, they have every chance of staying in a World Cup to remember.
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