Haaland scores twice as Norway hammer Northern Ireland

Belfast (AFP) – Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth scored twice as Norway thrashed Northern Ireland 5-1 in the Nations League on Monday to hand Ian Baraclough a humbling home debut as manager.

Three goals came inside the first eight minutes as Mohamed Elyounoussi’s fine finish was cancelled out by Paddy McNair’s equaliser before Borussia Dortmund’s Haaland produced the first of two thumping finishes.

Sorloth could also be heading to the Bundesliga in the coming weeks with RB Leipzig interested in his services after a prolific season at Trabzonspor on loan from Crystal Palace.

He headed home the first of his double on 20 minutes before he benefited from Haaland’s unselfishness to roll home Norway’s fourth early in the second half.

Haaland scored his first international goal in defeat to Austria on Friday and the 20-year-old showed why he is regarded as one of the rising stars of European football with another curling effort into the top corner to round off the scoring.

Both sides’ next fixtures are Euro 2020 playoff semi-finals next month but it is the Norwegians who will have far more confidence heading into their clash at home to Serbia, while Baraclough has to pick up the pieces ahead of a tough trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.