Little was at stake before the private international match against Ireland in Dublin, and initially there was much that indicated just that. Even game and few chances. That was before Leo Skiri Østigård – in familiar style – decided to tower highest on a corner. Just before the break, the centre-back scored the first goal of the game. A good Ørjan Håskjold Nyland contributed for a long time to Norway staying in the game, but the equalizer would eventually come. Alan Browne made it 1-1 in Dublin after a fine long shot. For a long time it seemed to be heading for a draw, but Ohi Omoijuanfo wanted it differently. The substitute fought for the ball in a duel with Ireland’s Nathan Collins, and Ohi was ready when he thumped the ball in from just over five metres. The score meant that Norway won the match 2–1. Omoijuanfo was brought into the squad at short notice. Haaland has struggled with an injury and was not available for the match. HERO: Leo Skiri Østigård. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB Signature scoring Before the match, there was little to indicate that it was “only” a private international match to be played in Dublin on Thursday evening. Because it was a completely Irish audience that welcomed Ståle Solbakken and Norway. It was reported that just over 45,000 tickets had been sold before the match, but the official figure was probably somewhat lower. FROM START: Jørgen Strand Larsen. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB Those in attendance saw Ireland start offensively, but it was Norway who would get the first chance of the match with Strand Larsen. The Celta Vigo striker received the ball from an oblique angle and tapped in, but Ireland’s last defender Gavin Bazunu parried the shot. Norway had a couple of half-chances throughout the half, and five minutes before the break the score came. No one could stop Østigård when he rose highest and scored the lead goal for Norway. In stark contrast to earlier in the match, you could almost hear a pin drop as the Napoli player cheered for the goal and ran to corner taker Martin Ødegaard. – We have the world’s best head player in Østigård. There is almost no one in the world who does it better than him, exclaimed TV 2 expert Yaw Amankwah in the channel’s studio broadcast. The man behind the corner? Norway’s captain Martin Ødegaard – who poked the ball on the forehead of the Napoli player. Decided just before the end Norway acted solidly defensively throughout the first half, with Østigård in the lead, but after the break the game was to take on more fire. Ireland came out as a completely new team and pushed Solbakken’s men. Alan Browne was, among other things, very close to equalizing for Ireland shortly into the half. – Defending us worse than what we did in the first half, said news expert Carl-Erik Torp. And the Irish pressure would eventually pay off. The same Browne clinched from just over 20 meters shortly afterwards, and equalized at 1-1. Omoijuanfo decided the game just over five minutes five minutes before normal time. Norway meets Finland next Sunday at home in Ullevaal.
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