A place in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 is up for grabs as the Ivory Coast face Norway in a round of 32 clash at Dallas Stadium.
Both teams had similar records in the group stage, but with Erling Haaland up front, the Norwegians boast the extra quality to claim the upper hand here.
Key Stats
- Ivory Coast lost to Germany during the group phase.
- Norway have won two of their last three matches.
- Norway are unbeaten in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
No Previous Meetings
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Ivory Coast and Norway at this level.
Les Elephants Savouring First Knockout Berth
Ivory Coast come into this clash off the back of a 2-0 victory over Curaçao in their final group stage fixture. They were largely untroubled in the clash, with a goal in each half from Nicolas Pepe earning them the win.
That result was enough to secure them a place in the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history. Emerse Fae’s team ended their group stage campaign with two wins from three matches.
While the Ivory Coast will be on a high after reaching the knockout phase, their only loss in the competition may be a source of concern. The Elephants suffered a 2-1 defeat to Germany in their second group fixture despite taking the lead through Franck Kessie.
Norway Riding on the Big Guns
Norway are coming off a 4-1 defeat to France in their final group stage fixture. They were no match for the two-time world champions, with Thelo Aasgaard’s first-half effort proving to be a mere consolation.
While manager Stale Solbakken would have preferred to maintain their momentum, there is some context to the performance as Norway rested some of their big guns. Erling Haaland, Martin Odergaard, and Alexander Sorloth did not feature against France, while Antonio Nusa only had a few minutes off the bench.
Despite that result, Norway will be pleased with their overall showings at the World Cup. They began their campaign with two straight wins, including a 3-2 victory over West African side Senegal.
Team News and Predicted Line-ups
Ivory Coast (4-2-3-1): Yahia Fofana; Guela Doue, Odilon Kossounou, Ousmane Diomande, Christopher Operi; Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare; Yan Diomande, Nicolas Pepe, Amad Diallo; Ange-Yoane Bonny.
Ivory Coast have no injuries and suspensions heading into this clash and could stick with the team that beat Curaçao. Kossounou and Diomande should continue their partnership in central defence, while Diallo and Pepe are expected to feature in attack.
Norway (4-3-3): Orjan Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Leo Ostigard, Torbjorn Heggem, David Wolfe; Sander Berge, Fredrik Aursnes, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa, Alexander Sorloth, Erling Haaland.
Having made wholesale changes to the team in their final group fixture, Norway are set to have their big guns back for this one. Haaland, Odegaard, Sorloth and Nusa are expected to start while Nyland should return between the sticks.