NATIONS LEAGUE ROUND-UP: Erling Haaland secures priceless 1-0 win for Norway

Manchester City fans will hope for more of the same come the start of the new Premier League season after their new signing Erling Haaland produced a matchwinning display for Norway in Serbia. 

The £51million summer acquisition from Borussia Dortmund netted the only goal of the game to give Norway a crucial 1-0 win in the Nations League encounter. 

By Haaland’s standards this was one of his more routine finishes from close range. 

After some smart work in the build up by Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard, the ball found its way to Haaland who was on hand to make it 1-0.

Norway had Erling Haaland to thank as his goal defeated Serbia in the Nations League

The £51m Manchester City summer signing was on hand to score the only goal in Belgrade

Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard instigated the move and Haaland was in right place to finish it off

Despite Haaland’s impressive volley in the first half – Norway’s only shot on target in the opening 45 minutes – they needed goalkeeping heroics from Orjan Nyland to secure the win.

Serbia dominated possession and put the Norwegian defence under tremendous pressure in the second half, but Nyland pulled off a string of fine saves to keep his clean sheet intact and secure the three points for his team.

In the other match in Group B4, Sweden made light work of Slovenia, finishing off a 2-0 win with a brilliant solo goal from Tottenham loan star Dejan Kulusevksi. 

Emil Forsberg’s first-half penalty set Sweden on their way before a superb solo goal by Kulusevski. 

Striker Alexander Isak hit the post with an early header as Sweden started strongly, and they took the lead in the 39th minute when Forsberg calmly converted a spot-kick after Viktor Claesson was fouled.

Tottenham loan star Dejan Kulusevski scored a brilliant goal on the night in Sweden’s win

Emil Forsberg set Sweden on their way against Slovenia before Kulusevski’s solo goal sealed it

Kulusevski almost doubled the Swedes’ lead on the hour mark, cutting in from the right and unleashing a brilliant curling shot, but Jan Oblak made a superb one-handed save to push the ball away for a corner.

Kulusevski did better in the 88th minute, breaking away on a solo counter-attack and hammering the ball home from a tight angle to secure victory for Sweden ahead of their home game against Norway on Sunday. Slovenia next travel to Belgrade to play Serbia.

While Norway and Sweden both found comfort on the road, it was home comfort that Czech Republic sought and they got it with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Switzerland. 

An early Jan Kuchta strike and a second-half own goal gave the Czech Republic the win.

Kuchta opened the scoring in the 11th minute when the forward took advantage of a defensive mistake following a long throw-in to tap in his first international goal.

Jan Kuchta set the Czech Republic on their way in Prague as they went on to beat Switzerland

There were wild scenes inside the Sinobo Stadium as Czech Republic ground out a 2-0 win

Noah Okafor levelled for the visitors just before the break after he pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area and slammed a shot from close range that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar into the corner of the net.

Both teams attacked throughout the match and the home side missed two golden opportunities after the interval when Adam Hlozek fluffed a shot with only the keeper to beat and Vladimir Coufal smashed a long-range shot against the post.

The Czech efforts paid off in the 58th minute when Jakub Jankto sent in a cross that deflected off Swiss midfielder Djibril Sow into the net.

Switzerland pressed forward for an equaliser and forced Czech keeper Tomas Vaclik into a number of point-blank saves to secure victory for the Czechs.

It proved a dismal start at home for Northern Ireland as they were humbled in a 1-0 loss to Greece at Windsor Park.  It means Northern Ireland’s wait for a Nations League victory goes on.

Despite the best efforts of another sell-out crowd at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland were too flat for too long, only raising their game when two 34-year-olds – Kyle Lafferty and Niall McGinn – came off the bench to chase a result in the final half an hour.

Northern Ireland’s wait for a Nations League win goes on after they were beaten by Greece

But they could find no answer to Tasos Bakasetas’ 39th-minute strike for the visitors as Gus Poyet took victory in his first competitive game in charge of Greece.

It means Northern Ireland are still without a win after 11 attempts in the Nations League, while Baraclough has only one victory in the same number of fixtures at Windsor Park in all competitions.

On Wednesday the manager had set his side a points target of 12 for their four fixtures this month, but this is a result that leaves Northern Ireland already facing an uphill task in their goal of promotion out of League C.

Baraclough’s predecessor Michael O’Neill was in the stands to watch his first Northern Ireland match in person since leaving for Stoke, no doubt hoping for a repeat of those famous nights when his side beat Greece home and away on their way to Euro 2016, but this was very different fare.

A flat first half was largely passing without incident until Greece made the breakthrough six minutes before the interval.

Paddy Lane, making his competitive debut, was unable to cut out a long ball forward and Dimitrios Limnios played it inside for Bakasetas to hit a low drive beyond Bailey Peacock-Farrell into the corner.

Greece had been trying that ball forward since the start, but more often than not saw it drift out of play. Their only other chance up to that point had been a deep Limnios cross to Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, who headed tamely at Peacock-Farrell.

The visiting Greeks defended impressively at Windsor Park as they held on for a 1-0 victory

Two minutes earlier Northern Ireland’s only chance had come and gone, Gavin Whyte turning neatly to make space on the edge of the area but unable to generate enough power to test Odisseas Vlachodimos.

Greece might have added a second just before the break as Kostas Tsimikas got the better of his Liverpool team-mate Conor Bradley in a battle that raged for much of the night on Northern Ireland’s right.

The hosts were appealing for a foul but Tsimikas strode forward, playing in Lazaros Rota, who blazed over to the frustration of Giakoumakis, who was awaiting the cross in front of goal.

The visitors really should have been two ahead six minutes into the second half as Limnios sent in a low cross that just evaded the out-stretched boot of Giakoumakis – the 27-year-old who was in such hot form for Celtic but who could not add to his sole international strike.

Baraclough turned to Lafferty – back in the squad for the first time since September – and McGinn as he switched to a 4-5-1 formation just after the hour.

Northern Ireland turned up the intensity, pumping balls forward, but genuine chances were few and far between. The best of them was a McGinn shot which was comfortable for Vlachodimos, while Lafferty brushed the roof of the net with a curling free-kick.

There was a debut for Manchester City’s Shea Charles as Baraclough made a flurry of changes heading into the final 10 minutes, but none made the difference he sought as the final whistle was greeted with boos.