Norway 3-0 Italy: Hosts run riot to maintain perfect start to qualifying

Norway's perfect start to World Cup qualifying continued on Thursday as they ran out 3-0 winners over Italy at the Ullevaal Stadion.

Three first-half goals did the damage for the hosts, with Italy unable to make their mark in their first qualifier for the 2026 World Cup.

Norway started on the front foot, with Alexander Sorloth finding the breakthrough after just 14 minutes.

Alessandro Bastoni's long ball was cut out, and Antonio Nusa drove forward through midfield before siding a pass into Sorloth, who fired in from a tight angle from the left, where Gianluigi Donnarumma could not make the stop despite getting a touch on the ball.

Donnarumma denied Sorloth shortly after the half-hour mark, but just moments later, Nusa found a way through. After cutting inside from the left, he sent two Italy defenders crashing into each other before bending in a lovely strike.

Erling Haaland made it 3-0 just before the break. Played through by Martin Odegaard, the Manchester City striker rounded Donnarumma before slotting into an empty net.

Odegaard almost turned provider again in the second half, picking out Sander Berge, who smacked the left post with a powerful curler.

Italy's only shot on target came in stoppage time, as substitute Lorenzo Lucca rose to head an effort on goal, but Orjan Nyland held onto it at his near post.

Norway remain top of Group I with nine points, while Italy are fourth, though they have played two games fewer than their opponents.

Data Debrief: World Cup qualifying woes go on for Italy

Italy have missed out on the last two World Cups, failing to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 editions, something Luciano Spalletti is determined to put right for 2026.

However, they were well off the pace against a rampant Norway side in Oslo. Italy have now lost two World Cup qualifiers in a row for the first time in their history.

It is also the first time they have failed to score in three such consecutive games - they created just 0.21 expected goals (xG) from their six shots on Friday.

Norway, who accumulated 1.63 xG, were out of sight at half-time - it is the first time Italy have conceded at least three goals in the first half of a World Cup qualifier in their history.