Although this Nordic clash between Norway and Denmark was technically just a friendly, the stands at the Ullevaal Stadion were packed to the rafters.
Over on Sky Sports, Peter Drury and Jim Beglin were teeing up the highly anticipated match.
"Welcome to tonight's international coverage, everyone," Peter began, his voice buzzing with the pre-match energy.
"The Norwegian national team is hosting Denmark in what promises to be a fierce local rivalry."
"Let's run through the starting lineups," Jim Beglin took over. "For the hosts, Lars Lagerbäck has set Norway up in a traditional 4-4-2."
"André Hansen starts in goal. The back four consists of Haitam Aleesami, Sander Berge, Håvard Nordtveit, and Birger Meling. Across the midfield, we have Markus Henriksen, Ole Selnæs, the 17-year-old debutant Theodore Bjorn, and Martin Ødegaard. Leading the line up top are Mohamed Elyounoussi and Bjorn Maars Johnsen."
Peter chimed back in. "Theodore Bjorn, who has been tearing up the English Championship lately, earns a highly deserved starting spot. We're all eager to see if the teenager can translate his club form to the international stage tonight."
"As for the visiting Danes, Åge Hareide has deployed a fluid 4-2-3-1," Beglin continued. "Kasper Schmeichel is between the sticks. A back four of Peter Ankersen, Simon Kjær, Andreas Christensen, and Jens Stryger Larsen. Lasse Schøne and Thomas Delaney sit deep in the midfield. Yussuf Poulsen, Christian Eriksen, and Martin Braithwaite operate behind the lone striker, Kasper Dolberg."
Down in the cramped player tunnel, the two squads were exchanging handshakes and nods.
Theodore stood quietly at the back of the Norwegian line.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart as he awaited his senior international debut.
[Ding! Mission issued: Help Norway achieve victory!]
[Mission reward: Gain 2 free attribute points!]
'Only two free attribute points?' Theodore grumbled inwardly, slightly dissatisfied with the system's stingy reward.
There were so many technical stats he desperately needed to bump up and two points felt like a drop in the ocean.
Still, beggar's couldn't be choosers, It was better than nothing.
A minute later, the starting elevens marched out of the tunnel and onto the pristine pitch.
Up in the stands, Theodore's father practically leaped out of his seat.
He pointed frantically down at the pitch, shouting to the fans sitting around him.
"Look! See that lad down there? The one wearing number 16! That's my son! That's Theo!" Xia Dongguo cheered, his chest puffed out with pride.
"Go get 'em, son! Make your old man proud!"
While Dongguo was gesturing wildly, Theodore's mother, Marianne, remained much calmer.
She just smiled softly, holding up her phone to record every second of her son standing for the national anthem.
Theodore had chosen the number 16 jersey for a simple reason: his birthday was December 16th.
On social media, English and Norwegian fans were flooding the match threads.
"Number 16? Theo wears 33 at Villa, why the switch?"
"Based on his current form, the kid deserves the number 10 shirt to be honest."
"Come on Theo! Show the Danes what the Championship is all about!"
"To be fair, Denmark's lineup is no joke. Eriksen, Schmeichel, and Christensen are top-tier."
"Who cares! Theo is going to run the midfield tonight."
"Eriksen is world-class, but Theo has the highest assists in England right now. Let's see who comes out on top."
At exactly 7:30 PM local time, the referee blew his whistle.
Denmark kicked off.
Kasper Dolberg rolled the ball back to their maestro, Christian Eriksen.
The Tottenham Hotspur playmaker, wearing the iconic number 10, took a smooth touch.
The moment the ball graced Eriksen's right foot, the Norwegian midfield snapped into a fierce press.
Theodore, Selnæs, and Henriksen swarmed the Spurs star from three different angles.
Their goal was simple: suffocate him and win the ball early to set the physical tone.
Unfortunately, Eriksen was a Premier League elite for a reason.
His vision and technical ability were on another planet.
In the blink of an eye, before the trap could snap shut, Eriksen killed the pressure with one swing of his left boot.
Thump!
It was a surgical, ground-hugging through ball.
The pass sliced right through the pressing Norwegian midfielders and carved open the backline, racing deep into the penalty area.
Out on the left flank, Martin Braithwaite timed his run perfectly.
He latched onto the pass, taking a rapid touch to open his body.
Braithwaite didn't hesitate.
He took the shot early, threading the ball right through the narrow gap between Nordtveit and Aleesami.
It nestled cleanly into the bottom corner of the net!
1-0.
"GOALLLLL!" Peter shouted on the broadcast. "Denmark takes a shocking early lead!"
"Just one minute into the match! Martin Braithwaite finishes off a stunning pass from Eriksen. Denmark leads Norway 1-0 away from home!"
"Christian Eriksen's vision there was truly exceptional, Peter," Jim Beglin praised, shaking his head.
"Under heavy pressure from three Norwegian players, he still managed to pick the lock with a world-class pass. And Braithwaite's early strike was lethal. Conceding this early is a massive test for Lars Lagerbäck's side."
Online, the fans groaned in frustration.
"We conceded already?!"
"Our defense is asleep! That was way too easy for Denmark."
"Eriksen is just too good. Spurs are lucky to have him."
"Don't panic yet. Theo hasn't even touched the ball."
"Yeah, once Theo gets on the ball, we'll hit back."
"It's just a friendly, guys. Relax. It's about testing the squad."
Even if it was just a friendly on paper, the Norwegian players out on the grass certainly didn't want to lose a Nordic derby on their own turf.
The stadium was packed, and national pride was on the line.
"Push up! Look for the gaps!" Lagerbäck barked from the technical area, waving his arms aggressively.
"Play more direct! Wake up!"
The veteran manager was wasting no time issuing fresh tactical instructions to his rattled defense.
After the restart, the Norwegian players set their jaws and immediately launched a rapid counter-attack toward Denmark's goal.
It was Ødegaard who picked up the ball.