Erling Haaland shines with a hat-trick despite missing penalties
In an exciting World Cup qualifying match, Manchester City star Erling Haaland proved his worth by scoring a hat-trick for Norway against Israel, despite missing two penalties.
The match, which culminated in a 5-0 victory for Norway, saw Haaland miss his first penalty, saved by goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. The referee ordered the penalty to be retaken, but Peretz guessed the direction of the shot again.
Haaland recovered from these misses by scoring a goal with a powerful shot, after receiving a pass from Alexander Sørloth. This goal was his tenth in the qualifying campaign.
The Norwegian striker continued his display by scoring two more goals, bringing his tally to 12, the most in UEFA qualifying matches by a wide margin. In addition, he has scored 12 goals in nine matches with Manchester City this season, totaling 136 goals in 155 matches with the club.
Haaland’s hat-trick allowed him to reach a total of 51 goals with the Norwegian national team, solidifying his position as the 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 the Italian team by nine points in Group I, although Italy can still reach first place and obtain a direct spot for next summer’s World Cup.
Norway hasn’t participated in a World Cup since 1998.
Before the match in Oslo, peaceful pro-Palestinian protests took place. The police formed a line near the stadium, maintaining a safe distance from the protesters.
The stadium had an attendance of between 22,000 and 23,000 spectators, although the capacity was reduced by 3,000 seats due to security measures.
