Norway’s defeat to Portugal exposed a frustrating contradiction: they dominated possession, produced more shots, created more pressure and still lost 2–1. Ståle Solbakken’s side had 62 per cent of the ball, attempted 22 shots to Portugal’s 12 and recorded 36 touches inside the opposition penalty area compared with Portugal’s 13. Yet João Félix and Gonçalo Ramos scored the goals that mattered, while Diogo Costa made five saves to protect the visitors’ victory. The lesson is not that Norway need to attack more. They already attacked frequently. Their real challenge is to attack with greater clarity, create better-quality chances and protect themselves more effectively when possession is lost. Portugal proved that a team can surrender territory while remaining dangerous if its counterattacks are precise and its defensive structure stays compact. Norway’s next step must be tactical refinement. They need to transform possession into access, access into chances and chances into goals. Most i...
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