Ninety points behind on the rankings, Norway created many surprises against the top team - Spain. Playing at home, coach Large Lagerback's team was very proactive in their playing style. Although they cannot attack, they can still hold the ball, coordinate small bounces in front of the masters of Tiki-taka playing style.
Meanwhile, the "ese" with the "upper hand" position are still the team that presses the field more. They had a superior ball possession but lacked accuracy and innovation in the final situations.
In the first 45 minutes, Norway's counter-attacking defensive style of play caused many difficulties for Spain. When the access to the middle was blocked, the away team had to rely on attacks from both sides to take advantage of the speed of "running machines" like Navas or Saul.
However, Norway stood firm against all pressure from the "giant" of European football. If they had been luckier, they could have made Spain regretful in the first half. Joshua King's weak header or Omar Elabdellaoui's regrettable hesitant ball made the drama even higher in the second half.
Right after the break, Spain unexpectedly scored to take the lead. In the 47th minute, receiving a pass from Sergio Busquets, Saul fired a powerful long-range shot from outside the penalty area, defeating goalkeeper Rune Jarstein to open the score.
The moment the Atletico Madrid star's speed brought a goal for the "Goats". But overall, the away team did not play really convincingly. After taking the lead, Spain not only failed to dominate the game, but were also pressured by Norway in an effort to find an equalizer.
The home team played calmly and still kept a tight lineup for more than 20 minutes in the first half. The smartly organized passes by "conductor" Martin Odegaard are Norway's main attack plan, but they still do not have what they need.
Gradually, coach Large Lagerback's students accelerated to speed in the last 20 minutes. And this has caused confusion and mistakes in the Spanish defense.
In the third minute of injury time, the home team organized a very good attack, Omar Elabdellaoui made a dangerous escape, forcing goalkeeper Kepa to commit a foul.
Norway was awarded a penalty and from a distance of 11m, striker Joshua King made no mistake, scoring an equalizer 1-1. This was also the final score of the match.
With this result, Spain is still firmly at the top of the table with 19 points after 7 matches. Meanwhile, Norway has 10 points, ranking 4th in Group F, 3 and 4 points behind Romania and Sweden respectively.
