Norway is set to face five-time world champion Brazil in the World Cup round of 16 tonight at 10:00 PM local time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Historically, Norway has never lost to Brazil in four encounters, recording two wins and two draws.
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Their most famous victory came in the 1998 World Cup, a 2-1 win.
Former Norwegian player Kjetil Rekdal believes the current squad is different from past teams.
He noted that players now handle pressure well due to their experience in top European leagues.
“The players of today don't think about the Miracle of Marseille. They don't need the ghosts of the past to beat the five-time world champion,” Rekdal said.
He added that the current national team possesses higher quality than his generation, though Brazil remains the favorite.
“They play weekly at the highest level in European competitions (at Manchester City, Arsenal, and RB Leipzig respectively).
Moreover, the Norwegian team now is much better than the Norway I was part of,” Rekdal continued.
Rekdal emphasized that Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti will need to manage Norway's specific offensive strengths.
“But coach Ancelotti and his men will have their hands full with the attacking power of Erling Haaland, the creativity of Martin Ødegaard, and the speed of Antonio Nusa,” Rekdal said.
Haaland vs Gabriel Rivalry
A central feature of the match is the individual matchup between Norwegian forward Erling Braut Haaland and Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães.
