Haaland's winner: Norway into the last 16

In the World Cup Round of 32, Norway came through a tough battle against Côte d'Ivoire to win 2-1 and book their place in the last 16. In the knockout tie, the winner was decided by a crucial goal as the clock neared 90 minutes.

The only goal of the first half came from Norway. Meeting the ball from a chance set up by Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa found the net in the 39th minute to put his team 1-0 ahead. While the visitors went into the dressing room with that scoreline in their favor, the balance of the game changed in the second half.

Stepping up their pressure in the second half, Côte d'Ivoire found the goal they were looking for in the 74th minute. With a goal scored by Amad Diallo, the hosts leveled the score at 1-1 and reopened the match. After that goal, the tension rose; both teams went in search of the chance that would bring victory.

The moment that decided the fate of the match came in the 86th minute. Meeting the ball from Patrick Berg's assist, Erling Haaland kept his composure to put Norway ahead again. The goal from the star striker brought his team both the three points and a ticket to the next round. Protecting the scoreline in the remaining minutes, Norway left the field 2-1 winners and advanced to the last 16. Standing out in expected goals and chance creation too, the visitors were the side that deserved to go through thanks to their effectiveness at the key moments. Côte d'Ivoire, despite their effort, bowed out of the tournament.

Image: Al Jazeera