The match continued.
After the kickoff, the away team Sweden did not engage in an open attacking battle with Norway, instead, all players retreated to their own half to defend.
Clearly, Sweden's head coach Andersson had watched the Norway vs. Spain match.
He was still wary of Norway's offensive threat.
However, Sweden's persistent defensive retreat could not prevent Norway from creating chances.
In the 5th minute, Theodore Bjorn received a pass from Ødegaard in midfield once again. Shortly after he received the ball, the Swedish defenders immediately rushed toward him.
And it wasn't just one player.
It was Ekdal and Kristoffer Olsson.
A double-team.
Among them, Ekdal is an absolute mainstay of the Swedish national team, possessing excellent defensive abilities. He can be considered the strongest defensive midfielder in Sweden.
He currently plays for Sampdoria in Serie A.
The other player, Kristoffer Olsson, is only 24 years old.
Theodore Bjorn didn't dare to be careless. He immediately delivered a pass with his right foot and unleashed a long-range pass.
Boom!
Suddenly, the ball flew into the penalty area.
However, this time the pass wasn't intended for Haaland, but for Bjørn Johnsen.
The 28-year-old Bjørn Johnsen stands at 196cm.
Even taller than Haaland.
Most importantly, Bjørn Johnsen's heading ability is also superior to Haaland's.
Inside the penalty area, Bjørn Johnsen leaped into the air.
He powerfully headed the ball toward the goal. On the Swedish side, center-back Granqvist had already moved to interfere. This 34-year-old veteran is the anchor of Sweden's defense. He also possesses excellent heading ability.
However, in this duel, Granqvist failed to stop the Norwegian striker's header.
The main reason was that Theodore Bjorn's pass was simply unstoppable.
The ball perfectly curved over Granqvist's head and landed precisely in front of Bjørn Johnsen.
Naturally, Bjørn Johnsen wouldn't miss this excellent scoring opportunity as he unleashed a powerful towering header.
The ball shot straight toward the goal!
In the stands of the Ullevaal Stadium, Norwegian fans wildly waved their fists when they saw Bjørn Johnsen execute the header.
It was as if they were already celebrating the goal.
But unfortunately, at the critical moment, Swedish goalkeeper Olsen stepped up.
He dove sideways and managed to deny Bjørn Johnsen's header.
"A WORLD-CLASS SAVE!" Tyler shouted. "Olsen stops Bjørn Johnsen's header point-blank. This goalkeeper from Serie A's Roma just showcased absolute magic on the goal line."
In front of the goal, Norwegian striker Bjørn Johnsen held his head in his hands, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He couldn't believe his header had been saved!
And in the stands of the Ullevaal Stadium, the faces of over twenty thousand Norwegian fans were also etched with disappointment.
The match continued.
Playing away, Sweden gradually began to control the rhythm of the game after withstanding Norway's initial attacking flurry in the opening stages.
In the 16th minute, Sweden's attack arrived.
In the current Swedish team, there is no absolute attacking core.
They mainly rely on crosses from the wings, trying their best to deliver the ball to the forwards Marcus Berg and Quaison.
Therefore, when Swedish midfielders gain possession, their first choice is often to distribute the ball to the two wingers. This time, the ball ended up at Claesson's feet. After receiving it, he immediately delivered a long pass.
The ball flew into the Swedish penalty area.
Veteran Marcus Berg stepped up. At the front post, this 33-year-old veteran outjumped Norway's center-back Ajer to head the ball toward goal.
The ball skimmed past the post.
Unfortunately, it flew out of bounds.
"Oh, Sweden is starting to press. Marcus Berg's shot nearly broke through Norway's goal," Tyler observed. "Although Zlatan Ibrahimović is no longer in the Swedish national team, it's undeniable that Sweden's other forwards also possess strong goal-scoring abilities. Norway's defense must stay alert."
As time passed, the confrontation between the two teams on the field gradually intensified.
In the 20th minute, Theodore Bjorn and midfielder Henriksen teamed up to complete a tackle.
When the ball landed at Theodore Bjorn's feet, the more than 20,000 Norwegian fans in the stands of Ullevaal Stadium once again spontaneously erupted in applause for him.
Without a doubt, since he achieved a hat-trick of assists in the previous match against Spain, Norwegian fans have regarded him as the team's savior.
They expect him to help Norway secure a victory tonight.
"Quick! Quick! Don't let their number 16 have a chance to pass. Press him. Disrupt his play." On the sidelines, Swedish coach Janne Andersson felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Theodore Bjorn controlling the ball.
He immediately shouted instructions to his players to apply pressure.
In an instant, Ekdal and Kristoffer Olsson both charged toward him simultaneously. A classic double-team press.
But Theodore was clearly accustomed to Sweden's defensive tactics.
He remained calm and composed, showing not a hint of panic.
As the Swedish midfielders rushed toward him, Theodore Bjorn decisively swung his right foot to make a pass.
The ball traced a graceful arc through the air before landing perfectly at the feet of Erling Haaland.
He understood Erling Haaland's playing style well.
Haaland doesn't enjoy aerial duels and isn't particularly skilled at heading.
He prefers teammates to deliver passes with anticipation.
Thus, the pass not only sailed over the head of Swedish center-back Granqvist but also over Haaland's head.
It landed precisely at the edge of the penalty area.
Right in the gap between the center-back and the goalkeeper.
This was Haaland's favorite type of pass!
Suddenly, Haaland stretched his long legs and sprinted toward the ball with explosive speed.
Although Swedish center-back Granqvist attempted to interfere, he was already 34 years old. His physical condition and explosiveness were no longer what they once were.
He was simply no match for Haaland.
In the blink of an eye, Haaland forcefully knocked the Swedish veteran to the ground.
Then, he unleashed a powerful shot.
Boom!
This time, Erling Haaland put even more power behind his shot.
The angle was also more precise as the ball arrowed toward the top left corner of the goal.
Swedish goalkeeper Olsen couldn't work another miracle.
When Haaland's shot flew into the net, Olsen didn't even attempt a save.
1-0!
"AND IT'S IN! ERLING HAALAND STRIKES LIKE LIGHTNING! WHAT A FINISH!" Tyler exploded on commentary.
"ONE TO ZERO. Norway takes the lead. It's Erling Haaland again. This is his third goal for the Norwegian national team."
"Although the goal was scored by Erling Haaland, special praise must be given to that vision from Theodore Bjorn," Neville added over the replay. "After intercepting the ball in midfield, he immediately delivered an overhead long pass, allowing Haaland to directly face the center-back in a footrace. Pure class."
After scoring, Haaland celebrated like an excited child, jumping and bouncing with pure joy.
After finishing his celebration, Haaland sprinted over to Theodore, excitedly lifting him into the air.
"Theo! I love you. Thank you for that long pass."
Although Theodore Bjorn is not short at 183cm, when Haaland picked him up, he still seemed a bit delicate in comparison.
At the Ullevaal Stadium, Norwegian fans had long been swept up in extreme excitement.
The entire stadium was chanting Erling Haaland's name.
On Twitter, the reactions were even more wild...
[Erling Haaland is our Zlatan Ibrahimović.]
[Hey, mate. Erling's future will surely be even brighter than Zlatan's.]
[I heard Real Madrid and Manchester City are both interested in Erling. His potential is limitless.]
[Haaland's physicality is incredible. On the pitch, he's like a tank.]
[Theo and Haaland are a perfect match. Their playing styles complement each other perfectly. For this goal, half the credit must go to that pass.]
In the VIP box, Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon Magnus was equally exhilarated.
Like the fans in the stadium, he was loudly chanting Haaland's name.
Meanwhile, Princess Ingrid, seated beside the Crown Prince, was more focused on the playmaker who had provided the assist.
"Father, what's the name of that number 16 player?"
Faced with his 15-year-old daughter's question, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus patiently explained.
"Ingrid, his name is Theodore Bjorn. He's about your age, like Erling Haaland, he represents the future of Norwegian football."
"He looks kind of handsome," Princess Ingrid whispered under her breath.
...
After the restart, the visiting Swedish team had no way back.
They could only press forward with all their might.
Both the left-back and right-back pushed up into the opponent's half.
Five minutes later, right-back Emil Krafth delivered an excellent cross.
The 25-year-old full-back currently plays for Amiens in Ligue 1. He is a key player in Amiens' starting lineup.
This time, Krafth's right-footed long pass was of decent quality.
It landed successfully in the center of the penalty area.
Swedish forward Isaac Kiese Thelin and Norwegian center-back Håvard Nordtveit jumped simultaneously.
The ball was cleared by the taller Nordtveit.
However, Nordtveit's clearance didn't go far, landing just outside the penalty arc.
At that moment, Swedish defensive midfielder Albin Ekdal charged forward.
Facing the incoming ball, Ekdal opted for an outside-of-the-foot volley.
The shot was incredibly powerful. In fact, perhaps too powerful as t
he ball sailed straight into the stands.
UK fans watching Ekdal's long-range shot fly into the stands couldn't help but comment on Twitter.
[What is Sweden playing? It's really painful to watch.]
[To be fair, since Zlatan Ibrahimović retired from the national team, Sweden's strength has plummeted.]
[This is going to be a crushing victory for Norway. Sweden has been completely dominated with no chance to fight back.]
After Ekdal's long-range shot flew into the stands, the entire Ullevaal Stadium erupted in boos from over 20,000 Norwegian fans.
The fans were using this method to pressure the Swedish players.
On the substitute bench, the Swedish head coach sighed helplessly.
He knew very well that from the start of the match until now, the Swedish players had performed terribly.
Just as Swedish coach Andersson was pondering how to break the deadlock, another unexpected event occurred.
Norway completed a steal in the attacking third.
In the 30th minute of the match, Sweden was passing the ball around in their own half.
But at that moment, Ødegaard suddenly charged toward Swedish defensive midfielder Christopher Olsson.
At first, the Swedish midfielder didn't pay much attention when he saw Ødegaard rushing toward him.
Just as he was about to pass the ball at his feet to his teammate Ekdal, unexpectedly, Theodore Bjorn also appeared behind the player.
At the exact moment Christopher Olsson made the pass, Theodore Bjorn's right foot perfectly timed a block.
"Steal!" Tyler shouted. "Another steal by Theodore Bjorn. This is a great opportunity for Norway to attack. He looks up... Pass. Another overhead long pass from Theodore Bjorn. Erling Haaland is through. SHOOT... GOAL!"
"ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL! HAALAND AGAIN! TWO-NIL! THE ROOF HAS BLOWN OFF THE ULLEVAAL STADIUM!" Tyler's voice cracked with the sheer excitement of the moment.
"Haaland has scored Norway's second goal of the match, tearing the Swedish defense to shreds."
On the pitch at Ullevaal Stadium, Haaland didn't celebrate with any flashy moves this time.
Instead, he immediately rushed toward Theodore Bjorn, tackling him to the ground.
Soon, the rest of the Norwegian players piled on top of them to celebrate.
They almost crushed him!
In the stands, Norwegian fans excitedly waved their fists, absolutely thrilled.
It had been a long time since Norway had defeated Sweden.
But today, with the first half not even over, they were already leading by two goals.
This was the kind of scenario every Norwegian fan loved to see.
"My son. Unbelievable." Xia Dongguo felt genuine pride.
Back when he had sent his son to the Aston Villa youth academy, he never imagined he would make it this far.
But now, not only had he made it, he had created miracles and become the undisputed core of the Norwegian national team.
After the restart, Sweden was completely rattled.
Coach Andersson immediately instructed all his players to drop back and defend in their own half.
Andersson had a feeling, judging by the current form of the two teams... Sweden is highly likely to be crushed by Norway.
He must approach this match with caution.
"Oh, after the restart, the visiting Swedish team has begun to drop back to their own half to defend," Neville noted.
"It seems Sweden wants to focus on defense first and look for counterattack opportunities later to stop the bleeding."