In the 38th minute of this tense Round of 32 clash, Antonio Nusa delivered a lethal blow, burying the opening goal to put Norway ahead. The Ivorian backline, heavily focused on doubling up Erling Haaland and shadowing Martin Ødegaard, was caught completely off-guard by Nusa’s raw, vertical aggression on the flank.

Despite a tense pause for a VAR review, the officials confirmed the goal in the 39th minute. The technology couldn’t save the Elephants from a perfectly executed, high-speed attack.

The Technical Breakdown:

• The Mismatch: Ivory Coast’s compact midfield, anchored by Franck Kessié, was built to suffocate Norway’s central creativity. This tactical tunnel vision left the wide channels critically vulnerable.

• The Execution: Nusa thrives in isolated 1v1 situations. Taking full advantage of the space, he used his devastating lateral quickness to unbalance the defense and find the back of the net.

• The Match State: As the match moves through first-half stoppage time (45+3′), Norway holds a 1–0 lead. The Ivory Coast must now abandon their initial containment strategy and push forward—a shift that will inevitably open massive counter-attacking lanes for Haaland.