OSLO (The Thursday Times) — Erling Haaland ki aakhri lamhaat ki penalty ki badolat Norway ne Saturday ko Oslo mein Nations League ke match mein Wales ko 3-1 se shikast de di, jis ke baad Wales ka Group A4 mein aakhri number par rehna yaqeeni ho gaya hai.
Antonio Nusa ne aik ghante ke khel ke baad Norway ko bartari dilai jab Wales ka difa aik corner ko theek se clear na kar saka, aur nau minute baad mutabadil khilari Andreas Schjelderup ne Haaland ke pass par qareeb se goal kar ke bartari dugni kar di. Yeh goal offside ki VAR jaanch ke baad barqarar raha.
Match khatam hone se 11 minute pehle mutabadil khilari David Brooks ne Harry Wilson ke saath one-two ke baad goalkeeper Egil Selvik ke oopar se gend uchhal kar aik goal wapas kiya. Lekin phir Connor Roberts ne Schjelderup ko gira diya, aur Haaland ne ikhtitam se do minute pehle penalty par gend Karl Darlow ke paar pohncha di.
Is goal ke saath Manchester City ke striker ka Norway ke liye do matchon se goal na kar paane ka silsila khatam hua aur 60 international matchon mein un ke goals ki tadaad 66 ho gayi, jis se un ka qaumi record mazeed behtar ho gaya. Yeh Nations League mein un ka 23wan goal bhi tha, jo is muqable ka record hai.
Tanazzuli ka play-off sar par
Pehla half baghair kisi goal ke khatam hua, jis mein Wales ne behtar mauqe banaye; us waqt Oslo mein darja-e-hararat nuqta-e-injimad se neeche tha. Daniel James ne Wilson ke pass par do baar gend bahar maari aur phir Selvik ko match ka pehla save karne par majboor kiya, jabke Ben Davies ne door wali post par muntazir Haaland ke saamne se gend clear ki.
Is fatah se Norway ne aik maah qabl Cardiff mein hone wali apni shikast ka badla le liya, jo is satah par Wales ki pehli jeet thi, aur Craig Bellamy ki team se aage nikal kar teesri position par aa gaya. Wales Tuesday ko apne mulk mein group mein sar-e-fehrist Portugal ki mezbani karega, lekin aamne saamne ke muqablon ke kamzor record ki wajah se woh Norway ya Denmark se aage nahin nikal sakta, aur use March mein League B ki kisi team ke khilaf tanazzuli se bachne ka play-off khelna taqreeban yaqeeni hai.
Teesri ya us se behtar position ka aik izafi inaam bhi tha: Euro 2028 qualifying mein top seeding, jis se barr-e-azam ki bari teamein kisi team ke group se bahar rehti hain.
Norway is mausam-e-garma mein World Cup ke quarter-final tak pohncha tha aur raaste mein Brazil ko shikast di thi. Quarter-final mein pehle hi jagah pakki kar lene wala Portugal Saturday ko baad mein Denmark ki mezbani karne wala tha, aur us ki number 7 ki shirt mein Cristiano Ronaldo ke aizaz mein tabdeeli ki jani thi, jo is maah international football se retire ho gaye hain.
