Norway will take on Austria in the UEFA Nations League on Monday, 9 September in a match that has taken on extra importance after a nervy first round of fixtures in League B Group Three.
Norway were held to a 0-0 draw against Kazakhstan in their opening Nations League fixture on Friday night, a result that hasn't gone down well with their fans back home.
Meanwhile, Austria also drew their opening match. Ralf Rangnick's side played out a 1-1 draw away in Slovenia meaning all four teams in the group are level on points after one round of fixtures.
How the bookies view it: Norway given the edge
Home advantage has played a key role in how the bookies have priced this match as Norway go in as favourites despite Austria's impressive form in recent times. Betfred have priced a Norway win at 13/10 while a win for Austria has been priced at 2/1. The draw, which shouldn't be ruled out given how both of these teams fared on Friday night, has been priced at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: A good fixture for Austria
This hasn't been a fixture that has been played an awful lot in recent times with the two nations only clashing on two occasions in the past five years. Austria came out of those two fixtures in better shape, winning 2-1 away from home and drawing 1-1 on home soil.
Going further back, Norway have only ever beaten Austria once before. This came in a friendly match played in 2002 when they ran out as 1-0 winners.
Players to watch: When will it click for Haaland?
There is no escaping the fact that Erling Haaland is currently the most deadly goalscorer in world football. He is averaging a goal per match in the Premier League since moving to Man City in the summer of 2022 and has started the new season like a house on fire.
However, there is also no getting away from the fact that he finds it difficult to replicate his club form in a Norway shirt. Granted, the quality of the players supplying him isn't at the same level as it is at Man City but you would at least expect there to be a good enough connection between him the centre forward and Martin Odegaard.
Haaland was heavily criticised for his performance against Kazakhstan on Friday night and he has now failed to score in five of his last seven appearances for his country. He's going to want to silence his critics back home quickly so expect a fired-up Haaland to try and stamp his authority on this one.
Predicted line-ups
Sander Berge will be pushing for a start for Norway after having to settle for a place on the bench against Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig's Christoph Baumgartner will be pushing for a start for Austria after missing out against Slovenia.
Norway: Nyland – Ryerson, Ostigard, Hanche-Olsen, Wolfe – Berge, Myhre, Odegaard – Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
Austria: Pentz – Mwene, Posch, Wober, Prass – Laimer, Seiwald, Sabitzer – Schmid, Arnautovic, Baumgartner
Anything else catch the eye?
Austria were one of the most entertaining teams to watch at Euro 2024 and prior to their 1-1 draw with Slovenia on Friday, their last three matches had all seen three goals scored or more. Over 2.5 goals to be scored on Monday has been priced at 4/5 with Betfred.
This UEFA Nations League match between Norway and Austria will be played on Sep 9, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Norway vs Austria prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
