Haaland Misses 2 Penalties, But Scores Hat-Trick with Norway!

Erling Haaland shines with a hat-trick despite missing two penalties

Manchester City’s star striker, Erling Haaland, had a bittersweet day with the Norway national team in their 5-0 victory against Israel in the World Cup qualifiers. Despite missing two penalties, the Norwegian attacker shone with a hat-trick.

Haaland’s first penalty was saved by Daniel Peretz. However, the referee ordered the execution to be retaken because the goalkeeper moved forward. In the second attempt, Haaland aimed for the corner, but Peretz guessed again and deflected the shot.

Haaland later got his revenge in the first half, scoring a goal with a low shot after receiving a pass from Alexander Sørloth. This was his tenth goal in the qualifying campaign. The Norwegian striker continued his display by scoring two more goals to bring his total to 12, the most in UEFA qualifying matches by a wide margin. In addition, Haaland has accumulated 12 goals in nine games with City this season, raising his tally to 136 goals in 155 games with the club. Haaland’s hat-trick raised his total with Norway to 51 goals, solidifying himself as his country’s all-time top scorer. He reached the 50-goal mark in just 46 matches.

Haaland’s achievement stands out when compared to other great goalscorers. It took Harry Kane 71 games with England, Neymar 74 with Brazil, and Kylian Mbappé 90 with France to reach fifty goals.

Alofoke Deportes

Lionel Messi needed 107 matches to reach 50 goals with Argentina, while Cristiano Ronaldo required 114 matches with Portugal. The victory keeps Norway undefeated in the qualifying phase, with six wins in six matches. They lead the Italian team by nine points in Group I, although Italy could still reach the top and obtain a direct spot for next summer’s World Cup. Norway has not participated in a World Cup since 1998. Before the match in Oslo, peaceful pro-Palestinian protests took place. The police formed a cordon near the stadium, maintaining a safe distance from the protesters. Some chanted slogans, while others held up red cards and a woman displayed a sign that read “Game over Israel”. A few dozen fans continued to protest outside the stadium once the match began. The stadium was almost full, with between 22,000 and 23,000 spectators. Capacity was reduced by 3,000 seats due to security measures near Israeli fans and in the front row.