By RONALD BLUM, EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP):- Erling Haaland scored twice to raise his World Cup goals total to four, and Norway advanced to the round of 32 with a 3-2 win over Senegal on Monday night.
Marcus Pederson had put the Vikings ahead in the 43rd minute after replacing an injured teammate, and Haaland kept up his incredible goals streak in the 48th and 58th minutes to build a 3-1 lead.
First he ran onto Martin Ødegaard’s pass and put a left-footed shot past the outstretched left hand of goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, capping an end-to-end counterattack for a 2-0 lead.
For his second goal, Haaland tunneled through the defense and 8 yards out raised his weaker right foot to volley in Patrick Berg’s pass. Haaland raised a hand to an ear to inspire the thousands of red clad Norway supporters behind the north goal who performed the Viking Row — chanting “Ro!” while mimicking oarsmen.
Haaland has 24 goals in his last 12 international games — scoring at least once in every match — and 59 goals in 52 international appearances. The 25-year-old striker joined England’s Harry Kane in 2018 as the only players in the last 50 years with two-goal games in their first two World Cup appearances.
He is second in the Golden Boot race, one behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi and tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé. Haaland nearly got another in first-half stoppage time, hitting a post after Mendy lost control of the ball.
Ismaïla Sarr scored in the 53rd minute and in the third minute of second-half stoppage time for the Lions of Teranga.
Making its first World Cup appearance since 1998, Norway (2-0) is assured of advancing from Group I along with France. The Vikings need to beat Les Bleus on Friday for first place and what would appear to be an easier path in the knockout bracket.
While not eliminated, Senegal is 0-2 in a World Cup for the first time and needs a win over Iraq (0-2) to have any chance of advancing as a third-place team.
Pederson entered in the 13th minute for his World Cup debut after Julian Ryerson got hurt, and he put the Vikings ahead with the help of mistakes by Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly and Mendy.
Ødegaard made a centering pass that Koulibaly cleared straight to Pedersen at the top of the arc. Pederson took two touches and sent a savable shot inside the near post that glance off Mendy’s left hand and into the goal.
Mendy left in the 63rd minute because of an injury.