Østigård currently has no scores in the six A-national matches he has played, but on Saturday night he was awfully close against Slovenia. First he had a score annulled by the Belgian referee in a questionable manner. Then attempt after attempt was either stopped by star goalkeeper Jan Oblak, or sent off target by the centre-back. – It annoys the hell out of me. The mood was not improved by the fact that Norway managed to screw up the victory and eventually lost the match. – Absolutely terrible, he says to news when asked what it was like to leave the pitch without scoring. Østigård was simply far down. – I try everything I can to get him to the finish line. It’s too bad not to score on them. I know I have the qualities to do it. It’s also a bit of a self-confidence thing, I’ve had a bit of bad luck in the past and still have it today. It annoys the hell out of me, so it’s hard, says Østigård when asked by Nettavisen. He asks himself several critical questions after the match. – Maybe I’m too hot, or maybe I’m too eager to head hard instead of placing. I try to do what I can, but the ball doesn’t go in the goal. Oblak is in the right place at the right time, and he did that in the last game as well. It is very, very annoying, he says to news. – Many things that go against me Østigård has long been known for its good resilience, and you could see several examples of it in Ljubljana. But again, as at Ullevaal in the first meeting with Slovenia, Oblak stood in the way. – I know he (Oblak) played a bit hot when he saved the first one there, and then I had a score cancelled. There is a lot going against me. I had some opportunities in the second half as well. The one time I headed the ball towards the back post, and we should have a player there, but we didn’t have that, so he annoys me, him too, he says. – Was the cancellation right? – That’s how it was everywhere on the pitch, so I think it’s a bit cheap, but it can go either way, he realises. Here Østigård scores, but the goal was cancelled. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB Suspended stars While Serbia loses a suspended Sergej Milinkovic-Savic against Norway, Kristian Thorstvedt has to face Norway. Both received a yellow card on Saturday. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored both goals the last time Serbia was at Ullevaal and beat Norway 2-1. – I can’t be there, but I’m sure that my teammates will do a good job and secure the victory. But I think it was a cheap yellow card, and there was probably a bit of overacting from the Slovenia player. Crazy, but that’s how it happens, says Thorstvedt. In front of news, he makes an appeal to the Norwegian football public who will come to the national arena on Tuesday evening. – I hope we get the whole of Ullevaal behind us on Tuesday. I am positive, he says. The match will be a pure group final. Norway wins the group with a win or a draw against the Serbs. – We have a “grand finale”, so now we just have to breathe with our stomachs and find the best line-up and best tactics for that match, says national team manager Ståle Solbakken to news. Kick-off on Tuesday is 20.45.
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– It annoys the hell out of me – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
