Haaland kept scoreless by Kazakhstan’s five-man defense in Nations League; Italy and Belgium win
Norway's Erling Haaland gestures during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Kazakhstan and Norway at Ortalyk Stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alikhan Sariyev)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Alikhan Sariyev]
Maybe the English Premier League teams struggling to contain Erling Haaland should consider employing the 5-4-1 formation that Kazakhstan used against Norway. Kazakhstan’s yellow-clad defenders swarmed around Haaland for the full 90 minutes of a 0-0 draw in the Nations League and kept the striker scoreless on Friday following his consecutive hat tricks in the Premier League. Haaland failed to hit the target with any of his four shots during a match in which Norway held 65% of the possession and produced 19 shots to Kazakhstan’s four. Haaland has seven goals in three Premier League matches for Manchester City this season. Italy won 3-1 at France and Belgium beat Israel 3-1.
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Kazakhstan's goalkeeper Igor Shatskiy, right, and Nuraly Alip, center, fight for the ball with Norway's Erling Haaland during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Kazakhstan and Norway at Ortalyk Stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alikhan Sariyev)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Alikhan Sariyev