Erling Haaland and Norway travel to Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday looking to strengthen their position in UEFA Nations League Group A4, while injury-hit Wales desperately search for a first point of the campaign. Kick-off is 7:45 p.m. local time (2:45 p.m. ET). Norway sit on three points after a win and a defeat, whereas Craig Bellamy’s side are still searching for a positive result after consecutive losses to Portugal and Denmark, and remain the only team in the group yet to even score a goal. In the competitive landscape of international soccer, Haaland’s presence alone makes Norway heavy favorites.
Haaland Leads Norway vs Wales: Team News and Injury Updates
Wales are severely undermanned for this fixture. Harry Wilson, Nathan Broadhead, Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor, Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies are all unavailable through injury. The lengthy absentee list has left Bellamy short of options in key areas, particularly in attack and defense. Lewis Koumas is pushing for a start in place of Kieffer Moore, who struggled to a forgettable showing last time out. Brennan Johnson, Dan James and Sorba Thomas will need to carry a heavy creative burden if the hosts are to pose a threat, with Wales already winless in six straight internationals.
Norway are in far better shape. Alexander Sørloth remains out, but David Møller Wolfe is available again after suspension. Oscar Bobb is expected to return to the starting lineup, while Erling Haaland continues to lead the line in lethal form, having scored again in Sunday’s loss to Portugal to take his tally to 65 goals in just 57 caps, a Nations League goal that briefly leveled the match before Gonçalo Ramos’s 54th-minute winner settled it. Martin Ødegaard, who was left limping after a late challenge from Bernardo Silva in that same game, faces a late fitness test on an ankle issue but remains hopeful of featuring.
Prediction: Can Wales Cope Without Their Key Men?
Norway are simply the superior side right now, fresh off a World Cup quarterfinal run this summer, and Wales’s extensive injury list makes this an uphill battle for the hosts. Norway have found the net in each of their last eight matches, though they haven’t kept a clean sheet across that same stretch, which at least offers Wales some hope of nicking a goal through a moment of individual quality or a set piece. The sides haven’t actually met since a 4-1 Wales win in a 2011 friendly, but that history means little given where both teams stand now. Haaland is fully expected to add to his tally. Prediction: Wales 1-2 Norway.
Predicted Lineups for Wales vs Norway
Wales: Ward – Roberts, Mepham, Davies, N. Williams – Ampadu, Sheehan – D. James, Johnson, Thomas – Koumas
Norway: Nyland – Aursnes, Ajer, Lysaker Heggem, Ryerson – Ødegaard, Berge, Berg – Bobb, Haaland, Nusa
These are projected starting XIs. Confirmed lineups will be updated when released, usually around one hour before kick-off.
How to Watch Wales vs Norway
| Region | Channel |
|---|---|
| USA | Fox Sports 2 (English), ViX (Spanish) |
| UK | BBC Two |
| Canada | DAZN |
| Australia | beIN Sports CONNECT |
| Norway | TV2 |
Haaland Leads Norway vs Wales: Preview, Prediction & How to Watch