Erling Haaland shines with a hat-trick despite missing two penalties
Manchester City star Erling Haaland put in a stellar performance for Norway, scoring a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Israel in World Cup qualifying, despite missing two penalties.Haaland’s first penalty was saved by Daniel Peretz. However, the referee ordered it to be retaken because the goalkeeper moved forward. In the second attempt, Haaland tried a shot to the corner, but Peretz guessed again and saved the shot.
Haaland recovered by scoring a goal with a low shot after receiving a pass from Alexander Sørloth, this being his tenth goal in the qualifying phase. Subsequently, he added two more goals to his tally, raising his total to 12, the most in the UEFA qualifying matches. In addition, Haaland has scored 12 goals in nine games for City this season, totaling 136 goals in 155 games for the club. Haaland’s hat-trick raised his tally with Norway to 51 goals, solidifying himself as his country’s all-time top scorer. He reached 50 goals in just 46 matches. The victory keeps Norway undefeated in the standings, with six wins in six matches. They lead Italy by nine points in Group I. Norway hasn’t participated in a World Cup since 1998. Before the match in Oslo, peaceful pro-Palestinian protests were held. The stadium was almost full, with between 22,000 and 23,000 spectators.
