The Norwegians finish the qualifying group without losing points with 24 points, 6 more than the Italians. They must try to win a ticket for the World Cup through the play-offs.
The Italian team of national coach Gennaro Gattuso knew prior to the match in Milan that it would be very difficult to overtake Norway on goal difference. That of the Norwegians was +29 and that of Italy +12.
Italy started brightly and that led to Francesco Esposito’s opening goal. But after that the home team failed to score again. The Norwegians leveled after half-time through Antonio Nusa. Then Erling Haaland scored twice in about two minutes. Jørgen Strand Larsen determined the final score with the fourth Norwegian goal.
England completes perfect qualification thanks to Harry Kane’s goals with victory at Albania, Ukraine to play-offs
England have also won the eighth and final match in qualifying for next year’s World Cup. In the capital Tirana, the English won 2-0 against Albania thanks to two goals from captain Harry Kane.
Harry Kane did it again. © ANP/HH
England was already assured of a ticket for the World Cup. The team won all previous matches, scored twenty times and did not concede a single goal. After the 1-0 win over Andorra, Albania was already assured of second place and a ticket for the play-offs.
National coach Thomas Tuchel had a starting place for Jude Bellingham. The Real Madrid player was missing from England last month, having only just recovered from a shoulder injury.
In the second half, Kane tapped in the opening goal from close range from a corner. Less than ten minutes later he finished again, this time from a cross from Marcus Rashford. It was his 78th goal for England. Armando Broja of Albania had to leave the field injured in the final phase.
Ukraine to World Cup play-offs
With a 2-0 win over Iceland, Ukraine still has a chance of participating in next year’s World Cup. Oleksandr Zubkov and Oleksiy Gutsoelyak gave their homeland the necessary victory over the Icelanders in a direct duel for second place in group F of the World Cup qualifying behind France.
The match was played in Warsaw due to the war in Ukraine. The spectators saw Ukraine chasing the much-needed goal for a long time. FC Groningen striker Brynjolfur Willumsson was in the starting line-up for Iceland. He was substituted after more than an hour and saw from the bench how Zubkov headed home on a pass from Gutsoelyak. The latter made it 2-0 deep into extra time.
Ukraine previously participated in the World Cup in 2006. For Iceland it would also have been the second time after 2018.
France defeats Azerbaijan
In the same group, France ended qualifying with a 3-1 win at Azerbaijan. The home team led after three minutes, after Renat Dadashov had passed French goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from close range. However, at half time it was already 1-3.
Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maghnes Akliouche scored for the French. Azerbaijani goalkeeper Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev was credited with the third French goal. In between, two goals were disallowed by the visitors, who did not exert too much effort after the break.