Haaland and Norway earn winner-takes-all showdown

Crucial victory for the "Vikings"!

Norway secured a 3-1 home win against Wales on matchday five of the UEFA Nations League.

Superstar Erling Haaland and company failed to impress at all in the first half. But after the restart, the Norwegians struck quickly.

Leipzig star Antonio Nusa fired low into the near corner to make it 1-0 (60'). Just eight minutes later, Andreas Schjelderup doubled the lead from barely five yards out to make it 2-0. However, Wales pulled one back through David Brooks' chipped finish ahead of the closing stages to make it 1-2 (79').

Haaland seals home win from the penalty spot

It was not enough for the Welsh side to mount a comeback, though. After all, a Norway match without a Haaland goal is a genuine rarity.

And the star striker avoided that exact rarity. Schjelderup earned a penalty, and Haaland naturally stepped up to seal the 3-1 final score (88').

Following an opening win over Denmark and three consecutive defeats, Norway's second victory sets up a dramatic decider. The Norwegians now have qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals in their own hands when they travel to Denmark on Tuesday.