Norway trash Moldova 11-1 as Erling Haaland and Thelo Aasgaard run riot

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored five goals, and second-half substitute Thelo Aasgaard added four more as they dismantled Moldova 11-1 in the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers to take another huge step in securing a ticket to the biggest event in world soccer for the first time since 1998.

With five games played, the Land of the Midnight Sun tops Group I with 15 points, six ahead of second-placed Italy, who have a game in hand. Moldova’s worst defeat leaves them bottom of the group with no points.

Felix Horn Myhre broke the deadlock six minutes into the game with a tap-in after Haaland set him up with a well-placed pass.

The City’s striker got his first of the night five minutes later after he latched onto a loose ball in the box before slotting it home into the far corner.

The Norwegian counter-attack was rewarded with a third goal and Haaland’s second of the night in the 36th minute.

The 25-year-old completed his hat-trick before the break when Moldovan keeper Cristian Avram was forced to go wide, which Haaland recovered and chipped at the far post. Martin Odegaard got the fifth of the night in first-half stoppage time to round off a brilliant first 45 minutes.

Thelo Aasgaard was brought on in the 64th minute, after which he scored a brace either side of an own goal by Leo Ostigard. He got his hat-trick in the 79th minute from the spot.

Haaland added to the score sheet four minutes later, scoring the Norwegian’s tenth. Aasgaard completed the riot with a stoppage-time flick to ultimately seal the victory for Norway.

The Cityzen, with the 5 goals scored against Moldova, has now scored 48 goals in 45 appearances for Norway. He now has more goals than games played for the national team in his career.

This is his fifth hat-trick for the national team, and he increases an impressive stat in the World Cup qualifiers. He has scored 14 goals and 2 assists in 11 games; that is a goal contribution every 58 minutes.