Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard also wears the armband for Norway, who stumbled to a 1-1 draw at home to Slovakia in a friendly match.
Norway failed to qualify for the European Championships this summer, despite possessing a squad with a lot of talent, and their frustrations continued as they were unable to secure a home victory over Slovakia, with Ondrej Duda scoring a stunning late equaliser.
However, despite Norway’s poor result, Odegaard continued his outstanding form as he put in a remarkable display, but the same cannot be said for Manchester City star Erling Haaland, with the two stars set to face each other in a huge game in the title race on Sunday.
Martin Odegaard’s excellent Norway display
Odegaard yet again played a dominant role in the middle of the park. The 25-year-old registered 80 touches, more than anyone else in the Norway midfield, and these were efficient.
He created four chances for his teammates, completed three of his four attempted dribbles and even hit the crossbar with a stunning effort from the edge of the box.
Odegaard won five of his six attempted duels, and was one of the best players on the pitch as he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, but Norway could not extend their lead before conceding the late equaliser.
Erling Haaland drops disasterclass for Norway
Arsenal will be hoping Haaland drops a similar performance on Sunday as the one he delivered last night.
He registered just 18 touches, less than half of what his strike partner Alexander Sorloth managed, and he missed a big chance with a first-half header.
Haaland then missed a penalty at the start of the second half. It was not a bad effort as he fired into the bottom corner, but goalkeeper Marek Rodak made an outstanding save.
The striker registered just one shot on target, missed two big chances, won just one of five attempted duels and completed just seven passes, and was a key reason why Norway could not secure victory before Slovakia equalised.
Odegaard will now go into Sunday’s huge clash full of confidence, but Arsenal should be wary as Haaland will aim to bounce back from his disappointing night.
Haaland has scored a remarkable 29 goals in 34 games across all competitions this season, and even when he is far from his best, he still often finds himself on the end of chances, and scored against Arsenal in both league fixtures last season.