Norway have earned their quarter-final place by being balanced and fearless, and must not be underestimated by England.
The first factor is fitness. While Thomas Tuchel has chosen his most well-suited side for all five games, Norway won their first two group matches and secured qualification, meaning 10 changes could be made for their final match against France.
Losing 4-1 was a result Norway were happy to take, reverting back to their first-choice XI for knockout-phase wins over Ivory Coast and Brazil. Three of their four goals in those games came after the 75th minute, showing how fit and firing the squad really is.
Not much more can be said about Erling Haaland. He has scored over half of Norway’s goals in the tournament, including three of their four in the knockouts, but this team are about more than its poster boy.
There will be goals — Norway are yet to keep a clean sheet in the tournament — but they have a knack of finding ways to pick out Haaland that makes them formidable.
