Norway Dominates Moldova in FIFA World Cup Qualifier

Chisinau, Moldova - Norway's quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998 began on a high note with a commanding 5-0 victory over Moldova in Chisinau. This win marks Norway's fifth victory in their last six matches, while Moldova continues to struggle, remaining winless in 21 World Cup qualifying matches.

Early Pressure Sets the Tone

The match got off to an unfortunate start for the Moldovan side within just five minutes. Goalkeeper Dumitru Celeadnic attempted to catch a cross but collided with his teammate Artur Craciun, leading to a mishap that allowed Norway's Thelo Aasgaard to intercept the ball. Aasgaard quickly assisted Julian Ryerson, who scored his first international goal, putting Norway ahead early.

Norway continued to press, with Erling Haaland coming close to adding to the scoreline shortly after. His volley, however, narrowly sailed over the crossbar. Midway through the first half, Haaland found the back of the net, taking advantage of a well-orchestrated team move that involved Martin Ødegaard, Alexander Sörloth, and Andreas Schjelderup. This goal marked Haaland's first of the qualifying campaign.

Moldovan Struggles and Norwegian Dominance

The home team managed to challenge Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland for the first time in the 33rd minute when Nyland expertly tipped Mihail Caimacov's free-kick over the crossbar. However, Norway quickly added to their score. Following a corner taken by Ødegaard, Aasgaard capitalized on a failure to clear the ball by Moldova, scoring his second goal of the night. Just before halftime, Ødegaard took another corner, which Sörloth successfully flicked into the far corner, bringing the halftime score to 4-0. ## Second Half Action

With a significant deficit, Moldova entered the second half determined to score. They aimed to break through Nyland's defense, but failed to capitalize on their opportunities as Nyland made key saves against both Nichita Moțpan and Ion Nicolaescu. On the other end, Celeadnic prevented an additional goal from Kristoffer Ajer’s close-range shot.

However, Norway finalized their scoring in the 69th minute. After a swift offensive move, Ryerson set up Aron Dønnum, who calmly placed the ball past Celeadnic, completing the 5-0 rout.

Conclusion and Aftermath

This match marks only Norway's third away win in nine attempts under coach Ståle Solbakken. The team has impressively recorded back-to-back 5-0 victories, showcasing their dominance in the qualifiers. In contrast, Moldova remains without a victory in their head-to-head matchups against Norway, extending their losing streak to five consecutive matches.

Julian Ryerson was named Flashscore's Man of the Match for his outstanding performance. As both teams look ahead, Norway aims to build on this momentum in their upcoming fixtures, while Moldova will seek to regroup and find a path to success in their qualifying campaign.

For more details on match statistics, fans can check out the full report on Flashscore.