25th March 2023 – 20:45, Estadio La Rosaleda, Malaga
Spain and Norway will face each other on Saturday to open their EURO 2024 Quals campaigns. The home side looks forward to a confident start, while the visitors will try to return home undefeated.
Spain Preview & Team News
Spain heads into this fixture after a 0-0 WC drawn result vs Morocco, after which they got knocked out after a penalty shootout. It was another unsuccessful campaign for La Furia Roja, and they made heavy changes to their national team. Their more recent scorelines show that there has been much resilience in the Spain defense. Spain has been mean at the back, resulting in the tally of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper over the course of their past six matches, standing at 4. Regardless, time will tell if the trend will be replicated in this upcoming game or not. Luis de la Fuente has not been afraid to upset the big names. There is no Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alaba, or Sergio Busquets in his first squad – and he has also had to replace the injured Pedri and Gerard Moreno. Borja Iglesias could come in upfront, along with the popular Iago Aspas. Kepa Arrizabalaga could get a surprise start, while Barca defender Alejandro Balde may begin at left-back.
Norway Preview & Team News
In their previous game, Norway drew 1-1 in the International Friendlies tie with Finland. After missing the World Cup action, they want to secure qualification in this campaign. The stats don’t lie, and Norway has been scored against in 5 of their last six games, letting opponents get eight goals in all. In defense, Norway has some weaknesses to address. The big news for Ståle Solbakken is that he will have to make do without Erling Haaland up front. The Manchester City striker has been enjoying an incredible season and could have made this one a much tougher game to call. Now Real Sociedad’s Alexander Sørloth will be looked to for goals, with Mohamed Elyounoussi also asked to provide an attacking thrust.
Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction
Spain has rejuvenated the team, and we are keen to see whether those changes will bring improvements in their game. We think the hosts are set for a confident start, and they will open this campaign with a victory.
Goals Market Prediction
Norway has quite a talented squad, but we don’t think they will enjoy much of a game in Malaga. Therefore, Spain might keep a clean sheet in this encounter.
Spain vs Norway
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