England shared the secret to stopping Erling Haaland with one simple tactical change.
No team at the World Cup has found a way to stop the unstoppable Erling Haaland so far. Haaland, who’s the second-highest scorer in this summer’s tournament, has scored seven goals in four games for Norway, including two in their last-16 win against Brazil.
It’s been a special month for Norway—they’re playing in their first World Cup since 1998—and Haaland continues to deliver every time. So, how can England stop one of the hottest players in world football right now?
Former Premier League goalie Brad Friedel thinks it’s not just about stopping Haaland himself. He says the key is to keep Martin Odegaard quiet because Odegaard controls the game for Norway.
“You can’t just stop Haaland—he doesn’t get that many touches during a match,” Friedel told SPORTbible, in partnership with Tonybet. “It’s about cutting off the passes to him. If their wingers and full-backs get into good crossing spots, even the best defenders will struggle to stop Haaland from getting to the ball. You need to stop the ball from reaching him. Even so, Haaland is so good he can make chances out of almost nothing.
“Odegaard is the player on Norway’s team who touches the ball most, so you need to limit him. But Norway isn’t one-dimensional—they also have players like Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb who can cause problems.”
Odegaard, who only missed one of his 53 passes in the first half against Brazil, can control the flow of a match from midfield if teams give him room.
Before Saturday’s game against England, Norway’s coach Stale Solbakken praised the Arsenal captain. “He is priceless for our team,” Solbakken said. “He’s never just played as a number 10 for Norway—he plays both ways and is important in every part of the game. He works the hardest, covers lots of ground, and is the one who decides if we defend with a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-4-2.”
Norway will also need to watch out for Jude Bellingham, Haaland’s former Borussia Dortmund teammate, who has been key for England’s coach Thomas Tuchel this month.
Friedel thinks Bellingham is playing at a world-class level. “He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. His moves remind me of Zinedine Zidane. Bellingham is great with the ball in tight spaces,” said Friedel. “He can play as both a No. 8 and No. 10, helps out defensively, wins aerial balls in both boxes, and can make important tackles or clearances. He covers the whole field—he’s a bit like Steve Gerrard.
“Bellingham’s career is on the rise, and he could win as many trophies as legends like Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, or Gerrard.”
Brad Friedel shared these thoughts as part of a campaign with Tonybet. Canadian fans have a chance to win up to $150,000 CAD with Tonybet’s World Cup Card Collection!