Alexander Isak's screamer sinks Northern Ireland, Wales draws Macedonia

Posted : 26 March 2025

In a dramatic World Cup qualifier, Wales salvaged a late draw against North Macedonia. Despite being dominated in possession, Craig Bellamy's side found themselves trailing after an injury-time goal from Bojan Miovski. However, in the dying moments of the game, David Brooks scored a dramatic equalizer to secure a point for Wales, much to the relief of their fans. Bellamy praised his team for their resilience, as they controlled much of the game despite conceding the late goal. He was especially pleased with the team's ability to recover from the setback.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in a friendly match in Stockholm. Alexander Isak was the standout player, contributing a goal and an assist. Isak's second-half screamer into the top corner capped a dominant performance, with Sweden in full control throughout the game. Despite Northern Ireland's efforts, they struggled to keep up with the Swedish attack. Jon Dahl Tomasson's side capitalized on defensive errors, with goals from Emil Holm, Benjamin Nygren, and Ken Sema adding to their comfortable lead.

Northern Ireland's manager, Michael O'Neill, acknowledged the tough nature of the match, noting that the 2-0 halftime scoreline was harsh but could have been worse. He commended his young players for their effort, despite the team's inability to cope with Sweden's superior quality. O'Neill emphasized the challenges of asking young players, who aren't regularly playing for their clubs, to perform at this level. Northern Ireland will hope for a better outcome in their upcoming fixtures, including a friendly against Iceland in June.

On the positive side, Sweden’s performance served as a bounce-back after their disappointing loss to Luxembourg in their previous match. The emphatic victory allowed Tomasson's team to regain confidence ahead of future matches. Northern Ireland's next challenge comes in June, where they will face Iceland before World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany later in the year.

Norway had a dominant performance against Israel in their World Cup qualifier, with key players like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard shining. Ødegaard was instrumental in Norway’s 4-2 win, providing assists for all of their goals, including Haaland's 40th goal in just 41 international appearances. Haaland's clinical finishing once again demonstrated his value to the national team. Norway’s victory came on the back of a 5-0 win over Moldova the previous week, signaling their intent in the qualifiers.

The match saw Ødegaard contribute a hat-trick of assists, showcasing his vision and technical ability. He assisted David Moller Wolfe’s opener and Alexander Sorloth's goal after the break, before setting up Haaland for his trademark finish. Norway's free-scoring attack proved too much for Israel, who were unable to contain the dynamic duo of Haaland and Ødegaard. The result marked a strong continuation of Norway's qualifying campaign, which had been revitalized by their dominant performance against Moldova.

Norway will look to build on their impressive form as they continue their World Cup qualification journey. Their performance against Israel demonstrated the strength of their attacking players and the cohesion within the team. With Haaland and Ødegaard in top form, Norway will be confident going into their next matches as they aim to secure a spot in the upcoming World Cup.

Alexander Isak's screamer sinks Northern Ireland, Wales draws Macedonia

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