Oslo :Alexander Sorloth and Erling Haaland both scored twice as Norway claimed a 4-1 home win over Estonia on Thursday which put them on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Norway have all but secured a place at next year’s tournament in North America as they hold a six-point lead over second-placed Italy, who play Moldova later on Thursday, in Group I.
Italy need to beat both Moldova and Norway in their remaining two qualifiers and overturn a 19-goal deficit to leapfrog the Norwegians and snatch the automatic qualifying spot.
The visitors denied the hosts the space and rhythm they have so often exploited during this qualification campaign.
Oscar Bobb missed the best chance to put Norway ahead when he struck the woodwork with a low cross just before halftime.
The home crowd, expecting a comfortable lead, made their frustration clear, greeting the whistle with loud boos as the players headed towards the dressing room.
Five minutes after the restart, loud cheers erupted around the stadium after Sander Berge swung in a cross in front of the box that Sorloth headed in to break the deadlock.
Barely two minutes later, the roars got louder as Sorloth guided a second header home.
From then on there was no stopping Norway. The Estonian defence fell apart, and another driven cross found Haaland, who powered in yet another header to give Norway a 3-0 lead in the 56th minute.
Haaland added another in the 62nd minute before Robi Saarma pulled one back for Estonia just two minutes later.
With the match effectively settled after five goals in 14 minutes, the tempo dropped sharply as the Norwegian supporters began to celebrate.
When the final whistle sounded, red, white and blue confetti swept through the stands as the Norwegians fans celebrated the win, confident that their long wait to compete at a World Cup was finally over.
