Erling Haaland was in their ranks in Norway and a draw was enough for him, but Manchester City’s crack didn’t score this time and Serbia got the victory they needed at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo (0-2) to clinch the promotion to League A of the Nations League.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, who won the battle of the ‘killers’ with Haaland, proved his goal to fall at the head of group 4 of League B. As it happened two years ago in the semifinal of the playoff for Euro 2020 decided in extra time (1 -2), Serbia beat Norway again in Oslo in a decisive match.
Haaland conceded in the first minute
And that the ‘Vikings’ have made a very strong start. Before the end of the first minute of the game, Real Sociedad forward Alexander Sorloth placed a perfect ball on the counterattack for Haaland, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saved his shot.
The City star, rarely for him, forgave and, although Norway were strong in the midfield battle, gradually Serbia, forced to win, imposed the hand of Dusan Tadic and Filip Kostic as the room was reduced by Martin Odegaard for maneuvering.
Vlahovic warned and opened the scoring
Dusan Vlahovic warned in the 33rd minute, after a cross from Tadic, with a superb header which Orjan Yland responded with a saving hand near the post.
Moments before the break, Serbia began to tip the scales in a perfect move. Tadic broke the lines with a through ball to Kostic, whose cross at the near post from the baseline was deflected into the net by Vlahovic (42′). The Juventus striker ended a goalscoring drought that dated back to August 31.
Haaland’s occasion, but Mitrovic sentence
Just like in the first half, Haaland had a chance to equalize as soon as the game resumed with a cross from Julian Ryerson, but he failed to connect his impressive jump with a placed header and it ended up in the hands of Vanja Milinkovic -Savic (49′).
Instead, Mitrovic did not disappoint in the first had. Newcomer Ivan Ilic passed the ball to him which the Serbian ‘9’ finished off with a precise low shot that hit the short post (54′). The Fulham slugger scored his sixth goal in the Nations League and overtook Haaland, the leading solo scorer in the competition to date. Both are the main strikers in the Premier League, though the Norwegian has 11 goals with City to 6 for the Serbian.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic again failed the crack
Norway tried to react but lacked ideas against a very organized and serious defensive opponent. Even Nyland, in the 75th minute, avoided 0-3 with a header from Mitrovic, taking away the glory of a stunned Haaland now as seen in the discount when Vanja Milinkovic-Savic scored again in one -on- one that doesn’t usually fail.
NORWAY
0two
SERBIA
Norway: Nyland; Ryerson (Pedersen, 57′), Hanche-Olsen (Patrick Berg, 78′), Östigard, Meling (Bjorkan, 74′); Odegaard, Aursnes (Ajer, 58′), Berge; Elyounoussi (Strand Larsen, 57′); Sorloth and Halland
Serbia: Vanja Milinkovic-Savic; Veljkovic, Stefan Mitrovic, Pavlovic (Babic, 89′); Zivkovic (Lazovic, 72′), Lukic, Ilic, Tadic (Djuricic, 90′), Kostic (Radonjic, 72′); Aleksandar Mitrovic (Jovic, 90′) and Vlahovic
Goals: 0-1, Vlahovic (42′); 0-2, Aleksandar Mitrovic (54′).
Referee: Mateu Lahoz (Spain). Yellow to Kostic (50′) and Pavlovic (86′)
Spectators: 28.00 at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo
view the game file
Source: La Verdad
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