Odegaard Celebrates Haaland's Five-Goal Performance In Norway's Victory Over Moldova

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Martin Odegaard expressed his delight at playing alongside Erling Haaland after the Manchester City striker scored five goals in Norway's 11-1 victory over Moldova. Haaland's performance at Ullevaal Stadion included a first-half hat-trick and an assist for Felix Myhre's opening goal. He added two more goals in the second half and assisted Thelo Aasgaard's final goal in the 91st minute.

Haaland made history by becoming the first player to score five goals in a single match for Norway this century. His international tally now stands at 48 goals in 45 appearances. He has scored in each of his last eight international matches, netting 14 times, helping Norway lead Group I by six points over Italy.

The striker is also the first European to score five times in a World Cup qualifier since Hans Krankl's six-goal feat for Austria against Malta in 1977. Odegaard, who assisted two of Haaland's goals and scored himself, praised Haaland, saying, "It's a dream to play with him. I know he timed the races perfectly."

This win marked the third time Norway scored 11 goals in a game, previously achieving this against Finland in 1946 (12-0) and the United States in 1948 (11-1). Stale Solbakken’s team ended with an expected goals (xG) total of 7.55 from their 23 shots, with Haaland contributing significantly with a personal xG of 2.53.

Odegaard also shone during the match, leading his team with seven chances created, 56 passes into the final third, and nine duels won. Midfielder Sander Berge admired both players' performances, stating they are among the world's best footballers today.

Admiration from Teammates

Berge noted that seeing them perform so well is expected given their Premier League success. "They are two of the world's best football players," he said. "When they do it in the Premier League, you almost expect them to do it when they get so much space."

Berge compared their chemistry to that of De Bruyne and Haaland at Manchester City. He remarked on some incredible goals and emphasized enjoying watching such talent on display.

This remarkable performance by Haaland and Odegaard highlights their exceptional skills and contributions to Norway's success on the international stage.