Sander Berge took his superb Fulham form onto the international stage as a dominant display powered Norway to a crucial win over Slovenia and kept their Nations’ League qualification hopes alive.
Norway, needing a win in Ljubljana to remain in the promotion hunt, made the perfect start through Antonio Nusa’s fourth-minute strike but Slovenia struck back when Benjamin Sesko converted a spot-kick. But Berge, who was outstanding in Fulham’s derby demolitions of Brentford and Crystal Palace last week, stepped forward to deliver the game’s telling moment. The midfielder stroked a superb ball through the home defence for Erling Haaland to restore Norway’s lead – and Ståle Solbakken’s side never looked back.
Teenage winger Nusa added a superb solo second before captain Jens Petter Hauge was set up by Haaland to make it 4-1. Norway are now level on points with first-placed Austria, who enjoy a six-goal advantage, ahead of the final round of group fixtures on Sunday. Berge and Norway host bottom-of-the-table Kazakhstan in Oslo, whilst the group leaders take on Slovenia.
Elsewhere, Timothy Castagne played all but the final four minutes of normal time as Belgium were beaten 1-0 by Italy in Brussels.
Antonee Robinson kept a clean sheet as the USA won the first leg of their Nations’ League quarter-final against Jamaica 1-0 in Kingston overnight. Ricardo Pepi scored in the first five minutes for Mauricio Pochettino’s side before Matt Turner saved a penalty from Demarai Gray. The two sides meet again on Monday in St. Louis – but Jamaica will be without the services of Mason Holgate after he saw red four minutes from time.
