World Cup Predictions & Tips | Quarter-final: Norway v England

Match 99: Norway v England
Location: Miami Stadium
Time: 9:00am, Sunday 12 July
Head to Head: Norway Wins (2), England Wins (7), Draws (3)

Key Stats

• England have scored 2+ goals in 5 of their last 6 games
• Harry Kane has scored 6 goals from 10 shots on target
• Over 2.5 goals is 9-2 in Norway’s last 11 games
• Both teams to score has hit in 12 of the last 13 games involving Norway

Erling Haaland has scored 29 goals in his last 19 international appearances including 7 goals in 4 appearances in this competition

Preview

England’s win over Mexico is arguably one of the best in their history. They had to overcome adversity of all kinds. Pre-game it was adjusting to altitude and a lack of sleep due to Mexican fans letting off fireworks throughout the night outside their hoel. Then there was the 80,000+ Mexican fans at the game, a send-off and a penalty conceded after having already been relegated to 10 men. Topped off with 10+ minutes of stoppage time, the 3-2 win will give the team incredible belief that they can now overcome any obstacle.

England have now scored multiple goals in 5 of their last 6 games with Over 2.5 goals going 4-2 in that stretch. Under 2.5 goals is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings against Norway but their most recent clash came almost 12 years ago and did not feature the likes of Kane, Bellingham and Haaland. On the topic of goals, there have been 3+ total match goals in 9 of Norway’s last 11 games with both teams to score and Over 2.5 goals hitting in all 5 of their matches played in this tournament. The English have recorded just 2 clean sheets in their last 9 knockout matches in this competition which suggests that the goals will flow.

Norway have come to the tournament with a ‘nothing to lose’ mindset and a willingness to play entertaining football. Even against Brazil, they did not take a back seat and finished the match with 66% possession. This is great news for the neutrals as the only time we have seen England’s attack struggle is when their opponent has put 11 bodies behind the ball. That is not Norway so strap in for a shootout!

Player To Watch

It would be an injustice to mention one and not the other with respect to Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. They have been phenomenal for their respective teams and for the tournament overall. When it comes to traditional number 9s playing the target man role, there are no two better players in the world and the most impressive aspect of their game is efficiency. Haaland is yet to have more than 30 touches in a game but has hit the target with 12 of his 15 shots for 7 goals. Similarly, Kane has had fewer than 20 touches in two of his games played but has 7 goals involvements (6 goals, 1 assist) with 40% of his shots converted into goals. It would not be a surprise to see them both on the scoresheet.

Betting Tips

Best Bet: Over 2.5 goals ($1.77)
Other: Over 3.5 goals ($2.80)
Value: Both Teams To Score in Both Halves ($12)
SGM: Both Teams To Score – YES, 2nd Half Over 1.5 goals, Haaland 2+ Shots on Target, Kane 2+ Shots on Target ($5.18)