Norway does not approach the opening match of Euro 2025 against Switzerland with absolute confidence. She also has attacking concerns, to the point of giving birth to a certain concern in the country.
‘You have to ring the alarm.’ Here are the words pronounced by Carl-Erik Torp at the end of the defeat of Norway Thursday in Oslo against Sweden (2-0) for its general rehearsal. This former footballer, now a Nrk Norwegian television consultant, was not really reassured by the performance of the players of Gemma Grainger.
The English coach declared herself satisfied with this last test. ‘It was a perfect test’, she assured the TV 2 channel. But behind her displayed optimism, the ex-Wales coach can legitimately worry about the lack of efficiency of his players.
They mark only against Switzerland
Norwegians have indeed only marked four times during their last seven matches. Admittedly, three of these goals fell during two victories against Switzerland in the League of Nations, but the rest of the assessment of Ada Hegerberg and Cie is by far not brilliant: 0-0 and 1-1 against Iceland, defeats 1-0 and 2-0 against France and therefore this final setback against the Swedish neighbor.
‘If the team produces this game at the Euro, I do not think we will pass the group phase,’ has still alerted Carl-Erik Torp, who is also concerned about the defensive stability of the Norwegian selection. Like Switzerland with Luana Bühler, Norway had to face the package of one of its central defense holders, the back of Brighton Guro Bergsvand. And Mathilde Harviken, who evolves at Juventus and who formed with Bergsvand the Norwegian central hinge in recent months, is still uncertain.
Norway therefore hopes that its two stars will be enough to make a difference against Switzerland. With Ada Hegerberg (Lyon), the first golden ball in history in 2018 and Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona), the Scandinavians have two attackers whose experience largely surpasses those of the young talents of the Swiss team.
/ATS
