The UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifiers continue Saturday, March 25, 2023, with the Red Fury taking on the Lions at Estadio La Rosaleda in Malaga, so we bring you the best Spain vs. Norway betting pick along with the latest team news and odds update.
Spain – Norway Betting Tip, Prediction & Odds (25.3.2023)
The Red Fury put on an embarrassing performance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and look to start the EURO 2024 Qualifiers on the right foot. They are surefire favorites to outlast the Lions, who own one of the best players in the world, so let’s take a closer look.
Spain vs. Norway: Initial Situation
Spain and Norway open the Group A action, and the Red Fury are the best team in the competition, at least on paper. Norway and Scotland should fight for the second spot, while Cyprus and Georgia are huge underdogs in Group A. The top-two teams will qualify for the UEFA EURO 2024.
Spain Stats & Form
The Red Fury exited in the Round of 16 in Qatar. They calculated to finish second in the group stage to avoid Croatia at the start of the knock-out stage, and their poor sportsmanship resulted in a penalty-shootout loss to Morocco in the Round of 16.
Luis de la Fuente took over following that shocking loss in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 61-year-old tactician has led the Spain under-21 team over the last four years. Hereof, nothing will change in the Red Fury’s system. They’ll continue to play tiki-taka football. Spain arguably lack a proper goal scorer, as besides Alvaro Morata (61 caps, 30 goals), only a couple of players, Mikel Oyarzabal (21 caps, six goals) and Iago Aspas (18 caps, six goals), have scored more than five goals in the national team.
Norway Stats & Form
The Lions missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and will miss their best player when they face off against the Red Fury this Saturday. Erling Haaland (23 caps, 21 goals) is out with a groin injury, and his absence is a massive blow for Norway. Haaland just scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 6-0 dismantling of Burnley in the FA Cup, and the 22-year-old striker has been unstoppable over the last few years. He’s bagged a whopping 42 goals in 37 matches in all competitions so far this season.
With Haaland on the shelf, Norway will have to lean on Alexander Sorloth (45 caps, 16 goals), who’s netted 13 goals in 35 appearances for Real Sociedad in 2022-23. Martin Odegaard (47 caps, two goals) will orchestrate the play in the middle of the park and captain this Norway team. Over their last ten outings including friendlies, the Lions have recorded six wins and a couple of draws and losses.
Spain – Norway: Head-to-Head
Norway beat Spain 1-0 in the EURO 2000. It was their first official duel, and the Lions have only earned a draw in four encounters with Spain since then. They met each other in the EURO 2020 Qualifiers. Norway pulled off an upset with a 1-1 home draw but lost 2-1 in Spain.
Spain – Norway Odds
The Red Fury are 1.36 favorites at bet365 Sportsbook. This could easily go down in the next three days because of Haaland’s injury. Interestingly, Over 2.5 Goals pays 1.90, as the bookmakers expect Norway to set up the barricades.
It’s hard to find value in this game. The Red Fury could struggle to beat a 1.5-goal line if the Lions find a way to score. Of course, Norway will have a tall task to find the net, but the Lions will have a few chances from set pieces. They’ll dominate Spain in the air, though the Red Fury will have the ball at their feet for most of the time. Hereof, go with a 1.0-goal line and protect yourself from Spain’s narrow victory. Six of Spain’s last ten wins have come by one goal.
Betting tip and prediction: Spain – Norway (25.3.2023)