Opening: When It Comes to Disappointing, England Never Disappoint

There’s a saying that goes: when it comes to disappointing, England never disappoint.

Every time you back the Three Lions, they turn in a performance so bad it makes you want to spit blood. Take the first 75 minutes against DR Congo, where they somehow slipped to a 0-1 deficit. But just when you thought they were about to go out, Harry Kane descended like a deity, scoring twice in 11 minutes to drag England into the next round by force.

And just when you thought their Round of 16 tie with Mexico was in trouble, Jude Bellingham scored twice and the game looked set to lose its suspense early — yes, and then they got pegged back again. Jarell Quansah’s red card left them down to ten men against eleven, but once again, they weathered it, sneaking through 3-2.

Norway: Haaland Sent Brazil and Neymar Home — Morale at Its Peak

Norway, on the other hand — even though I didn’t back them last time — saw Haaland prove his quality again, bagging a brace to send the five-star Brazil and the generational legend Neymar packing. They’re now riding the peak of their morale.

Squad Comparison: The One Striker Better Than Haaland Has Only One Answer

On paper, England are without question the better side. Norway have Haaland, but if you ask who in the world right now might be a better center forward than Haaland? Sorry, there’s only one answer — Harry Kane. His dropping deep to collect the ball, his link-up as a focal point, plus his wealth of experience, may make him the best center forward in the world today. Yes, even better than Haaland.

But we also know that on a football pitch, it’s never a direct duel between two players in the same position — a forward usually faces the opposition’s back line. Norway’s defenders, needless to say, have been middling at best since the tournament began, “falling apart” might even be the phrase.

And England? Yes, they have Declan Rice, the world’s most expensive and best-looking defensive midfielder. But their defense has recently been a case of misfortunes piling up: after Reece James’s injury, Jarell Quansah then picked up a red card and is suspended. Still, they have three Manchester City defenders in Marc Guéhi, Nico O’Reilly and John Stones (yes, they’re club teammates with Haaland — let’s hope they don’t accidentally pass to him), and their overall back line is still above Norway’s.

Betting Advice: England to Win Within 90, Likely High-Scoring

This is reflected in the odds too, with England at 1.92 against Norway’s 3.75. So rationally, I back England to win within 90 minutes, and given both sides’ attacking power, it could well be a higher scoreline like 3-1 or 3-2.

That said, as the opening line goes: when it comes to disappointing, England never disappoint — when the whole world backs England, that’s often the beginning of their downfall. Will the saying prove true once again this time? We’ll wait and see.

Please bet responsibly.