Norway – England

The English national team will put an end to the Norwegians' fairy tale in the tournament.

The Norway team has proven to be an undeniable revelation at the current World Cup in North America. In fact, before the tournament began, the football public knew the Scandinavian team by its stars: Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard. The World Cup demonstrated unequivocally that Ståle Solbakken has built a highly capable side, strong in every line and able to contend with any opponent on the world stage. The Norwegians passed a stern test of maturity in the Round of 16 against Brazil. Yes, the current five-time champions' lineup is far from the strongest in history, but the quality of their players at each individual position can be considered the highest. The English arrived at yet another World Cup as contenders for the gold medals. Thomas Tuchel brought to the World Cup two squads of players capable of challenging for the world football crown at roughly the same level. At the same time, the Three Lions' progress through the knockout stage is being criticized. On the one hand, Tuchel's team's playing style, for the better, differs from the pragmatic models of Gareth Southgate's era. On the other hand, the English can be so uninspired and, to some extent, so primitive that it's hard to believe there are two players of world-class caliber at every position on this team. What English supporters endured for most of the matches against Ghana, Panama, and DR Congo diverged markedly from their pre-tournament expectations. The real slog England won in the match against Mexico, when they had to hold the lead in the second half while playing with a man down. The Norway national team, over the past five matches, has not once allowed anyone to doubt the seriousness of its ambitions. Even with their second XI against the formidable French, the Norwegians tried to bite back. After beating Brazil, no one will think that Norway is a 'one-star' team. Even though Erling Haaland has contributed substantially to every victory in the tournament. The other thing is that the England team knows well how to counter the leaders of the Norwegian squad. The English will be more cautious than the Brazilians, and it's not certain that the Scandinavian goalkeeper will reproduce the same form that was evident in the game against Brazil. Let's bet on an England win.