Norway were one of the surprises of the World Cup. Competing at their first major tournament this century, they knocked out Ivory Coast and Brazil in the playoffs and even took the lead in the quarter-final, only to meekly lose to England. They opened their Nations League campaign with a win over Denmark, but then suffered three defeats in a row.
Wales missed out on the World Cup too, losing in the playoffs again this spring after a penalty shootout heartbreak—this time against Bosnia. They also began their Nations League campaign with back-to-back defeats. After beating the Netherlands and company at home, they then lost 0-1 to Denmark on their own turf.
The Scandinavians are evenly matched at both ends, scoring and conceding 1.9 goals per game. The visitors from Great Britain have looked decent so far, scoring 1.4 goals per game and conceding 1.1.
Previous meetings: Norway vs Wales
Norway have won just one of the eight meetings, while Wales have claimed four victories—including each of the last three.
There is a lot of confidence in a home win right now. We’re backing pragmatic visitors who are likely to set up defensively and aim to avoid defeat, with a “+2 goals” handicap (odds – 1.80).
Norway vs Wales: key stats and trends
Norway have lost four of their last five matches
Both teams have scored in 100% of Norway’s matches, with an average total of 3.8 goals per game
Wales have lost four of their last five matches
Both teams have scored in 60% of Wales’ matches, with an average total of 2.5 goals per game
Norway vs Wales: predicted starting lineups
Norway are expected to line up in a 1-4-3-3 formation: Nyland — Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Møller Wolfe — Eursnes, Berge, Ødegaard — Bobb, Haaland, Schjelderup
Wales are expected to line up in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation: Ward — Neco Williams, Cabango, Ben Davies, Dasilva — Ampadu, Jordan James — Sorba Thomas, Cullen, Daniel James — Koumas
