Norway arrived at this World Cup as a dark horse, but their run to the semi-finals has surpassed even the most generous expectations. After finishing second in Group B ahead of Senegal, they eliminated Ivory Coast and then Brazil — scoring 12 goals across five matches — and now stand between England and a place in the final four.
England boss Thomas Tuchel must find a way to contain a team built on attacking variety, and above all to neutralise Erling Haaland. So what does Norway do well, and what adjustments might Tuchel make?
The Nyland factor
Norway's build-up play begins with goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. His distribution is a genuine weapon: his first preference is to play short, using a wide back four plus himself as a fifth option, with two holding midfielders available centrally. That numerical overload at the back makes progressing up the pitch straightforward.
When short options are closed off, Nyland turns to his get-out-of-jail card — Alexander Sorloth, a 6ft 5in wide targetman who drifts to the right wing and collects long diagonal balls. England left-back Nico O'Reilly, standing 6ft 4in himself, is better equipped than most opponents to cope with that battle.
Pressing dilemmas for Tuchel
The most direct way to disrupt Norway's build-up is a man-to-man press across the pitch, reducing their numerical advantage and hoping O'Reilly wins the physical duel with Sorloth. The problem is that pressing man-for-man leaves someone alone against Haaland in central space — an unattractive proposition for any defence.
Most coaches would therefore keep a spare defender around Haaland, meaning England press with one fewer player than Norway commit to build-up. Including Nyland, that is effectively two players short. The alternative — sitting deep and blocking space — carries its own risks. Norway, as they showed against Brazil, are comfortable holding possession for long periods, using Martin Odegaard's short-passing game to slow the match and manage the clock.
A middle path looks more appealing: apply selective pressure to force Norway into predictable decisions. Brazil did this smartly, curving runs to push Nyland onto his left foot and positioning wingers to press Norway's full-backs. Pushing a midfielder — possibly Declan Rice — higher up the pitch could help England create chaotic but productive pressing traps, even if it means operating with numerical inferiority further back.
Containing Haaland
When Norway move the ball into advanced areas, their attack centres on wide rotations. Antonio Nusa and Andreas Schjelderup alternate on the left, and left-back David Moller Wolfe makes underlapping runs that pull opposition midfielders deep, freeing the wingers to cut inside.
Haaland feeds on what follows: deep in-swinging crosses to the back post rank among his most common scoring routes, alongside through balls on the left and cut-backs in front of a retreating defence. Marc Guehi, if fit to start, will know the threat well — in 2024, playing for Crystal Palace against Manchester City, Matheus Nunes delivered exactly such a cross, and Haaland peeled off Guehi's shoulder to head home.
The solution is to crowd Haaland out. Pep Guardiola, after a 1-1 draw in which West Ham dedicated three central defenders and a holding midfielder to marking the Norwegian, admitted:
