Doski and Ryerson: the flank that frees Haaland
Iraq's 4-4-2 must somehow muffle a Norway front three with Ødegaard pulling the strings.
Look at the team sheet. Norway go 4-3-3 with Martin Ødegaard between Sander Berge and Fredrik Aursnes, the captain arriving off a goal in the 1-1 with Morocco. He is exactly the man Iraq least wanted near the ball.
The hosts reply with a flat 4-4-2. Aymen Hussein and Ali Al-Hamadi lead the line; Merchas Doski and Ibrahim Bayesh are asked to police the wide channels. And the contest that decides everything sits right there — Doski against Julian Ryerson, with Antonio Nusa flying down that touchline and Erling Haaland lurking through the middle.
The numbers tell their own story. Norway's recent matches have been the more open, Iraq's the lower-scoring. Something has to give. Bookmakers make the visitors clear favourites, and with this attacking line picked, it is easy to see why. Iraq's two banks of four face a long, disciplined night just to keep the score honest.
Written and fact-checked by our AI preview desk from live match data. Refreshed as kickoff nears.
