Haaland hits 5 as Norway thrash Moldova in WC qualifier

Agency :

Norway’s Erling Haaland scored five goals and substitute Thelo Aasgaard added four more as they hammered hapless Moldova 11-1 to take another huge step towards qualifying for the World Cup (WC) finals for the first time since 1998.

With five games played, the Norwegians top Group I on 15 points, six ahead of second-placed Italy, who have a game in hand. Moldova’s worst defeat leaves them bottom of the group with no points.

The group winners qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup while the runners-up go into a playoff.

Haaland’s beautiful cushioned pass teed up Felix Horn Myhre to break the deadlock with a sixth-minute tap-in, and Martin Odegaard should have made it two a minute later, but he blazed the ball over from close range.

The Norwegians didn’t have to wait long for another goal as Haaland rattled home in the 11th minute, snapping up a loose ball in the box and sweeping it into the far corner.
Haaland slotted home his second to round off a Norwegian counter-attack in the 36th minute and completed his hat-trick before the break.

Moldova keeper Cristian Avram forced him to go wide, but Haaland simply recovered the ball and chipped it brilliantly in at the far post to make it 4-0.
Odegaard netted a fifth in first-half stoppage time and seven minutes into the second half Haaland struck again, scoring his fourth with a header as Norway ran riot in front of their home fans.

Substitute Aasgaard struck twice either side of an own goal by Leo Ostigard, and he got his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 79th minute before Haaland added the 10th, his ninth goal in five World Cup qualifiers.

Aasgaard completed the rout with a flicked finish in second-half stoppage time.