Norway
- Norway average 2.00 goals per away game in all competitions.
- Norway are more proactive and will look to play a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, pressing high up, playing with tempo and taking risks in possession.
- Joergen Strand Larsen has chipped in with three goals in his last five appearances and Norway's attack suddenly looks much more potent.
Iraq
- Iraq have scored 7 times in their last 5 home games.
- Iraq won 3, drew 1 and lost 1 in their last 5 games, including a 1-1 away draw with Spain and a 0-1 away win over Andorra.
- They will set up a compact block, press selectively and look to counter-attack and dominate set pieces when they can.
- They do not take too many risks, are very disciplined and difficult to break down - as Spain and Andorra found out in recent friendlies.
- Aymen Hussein leads the line as the physical striker that Arnold likes and he will be a target for set pieces as well as counter-attack play.
- Ali Adnan gives them width and delivers set-pieces, although both teams will want to be out of their own half and create numbers in wide areas.
- Arnold has brought these characteristics to the team since taking over in May 2025.
Key Players
- Erling Haaland is the focal point of their attack and the best chance they have of getting a shot on goal, while Martin Ødegaard is the orchestrator, seeing the pass that no one else does and putting teammates into the game with his progressive vision.
- Aymen Hussein leads the line as the physical striker that Arnold likes and he will be a target for set pieces as well as counter-attack play.
- Ali Adnan gives them width and delivers set-pieces, although both teams will want to be out of their own half and create numbers in wide areas.
Betting Insights
- Norway are the favourites at 1.23, which seems low, while the odds on Iraq at 6.8 are much higher and draws at 6.8 are equally unappealing.
- Over 2.5 goals is a solid play at 1.59, but the odds-on favorite Norway to score more than two goals in this era of their play is good enough for me.
Prediction
- Both teams are in solid form, but Norway will fancy themselves to break through and win against Iraq on Tuesday.
- I would back the Norwegians to find a way through at some point in the game and win this one at the Boston Stadium.
