Wales beat 10-man Norway 2-1 in Nations League after Williams free-kick
Daniel James and Neco Williams scored as Wales came from behind to defeat Norway 2-1 at Cardiff City Stadium after Torbjørn Heggem was sent off.
Bobb gives Norway an early lead in Cardiff
Norway opened the scoring in the 11th minute at the Cardiff City Stadium following an incisive attacking sequence. Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Ødegaard gathered possession from Fulham midfielder Sander Berge and threaded a weighted pass behind Wales captain Ben Davies. Oscar Bobb sprinted behind the Welsh defence and beat goalkeeper Danny Ward at his near post to establish a 1-0 advantage for the visitors. Norway manager Ståle Solbakken fielded five Premier League regulars in his starting lineup, including Bobb, Berge, and forward Erling Haaland, alongside Andreas Schjelderup and Fredrik Aursnes. Wales manager Craig Bellamy had made five changes from Sunday's loss in Denmark, bringing Lewis Koumas into the starting side as the home supporters rallied behind the national team.
James finishes Welsh response before the break
Wales responded to the deficit by building pressure down the flanks against Norway's defence. In the 38th minute, Liam Cullen, who joined Leicester from Swansea during the summer, dispossessed Berge following a sluggish exchange from Aursnes. Cullen and Koumas advanced the counter-attack, allowing Sorba Thomas to deliver a low cross into the penalty area from the wing. Daniel James moved in front of defender David Møller Wolfe to apply a first-time finish past goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland and level the match at 1-1. Norway had threatened earlier when a cross from Berge deflected off defender Ben Cabango directly into Ward's hands, but Wales pressed forward before the interval as Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer diverted another dangerous Thomas cross wide for a corner.
Heggem red card and Williams free-kick complete turnaround
The dynamic of the fixture shifted decisively within seconds of the second half beginning. Solbakken replaced Aursnes with Thelo Aasgard at the interval, but the visitors suffered an immediate setback in defence. Just 17 seconds after the restart, Torbjørn Heggem pulled the shirt of James as the Leeds winger broke clean through on goal. The referee showed Heggem a straight red card for the foul, reducing Norway to ten players for the remainder of the match. In the 48th minute, Neco Williams took the resulting direct free-kick and struck a powerful drive past Nyland to give Wales a 2-1 lead.
- Oscar Bobb scores the opening goal for Norway from a Martin Ødegaard assist
- Daniel James equalises for Wales after connecting with a Sorba Thomas cross
- Torbjørn Heggem receives a straight red card for a professional foul on Daniel James
- Neco Williams scores the decisive goal for Wales from a direct free-kick
Group standings tighten as Wales close out victory
Wales defended their advantage through the remainder of the second period to register their first win of the calendar year. Norway created late opportunities despite being a player down, with substitute forward Jørgen Strand Larsen coming close to equalising before Wales closed out the result. The victory lifted Wales following consecutive defeats against Denmark and Portugal, while leaving Norway at the bottom of Group 4. Norway now travel to face Portugal on Sunday, 4 October, at the Estádio do Dragão, where Heggem will be unavailable due to suspension. In the group's concurrent fixture on Thursday, Portugal earned a 4-2 victory against Denmark to maintain their position.
