Hareide expects better of Norway

Norway coach Åge Hareide says his side must "play much, much better than against Bosnia-Herzegovina" if they are to beat Turkey and qualify for UEFA EURO 2008™.

'Much, much better'
A 2-0 win in Sarajevo on Wednesday has left Norway in control of their destiny going into their remaining two games, at home to Turkey on 17 November and away to Malta four days later. "We hope to beat Turkey to end any doubt before the final matches in qualifying," said Hareide. "But to beat them, we need to play much, much better than against Bosnia-Herzegovina."

Professional performance
Goals from Erik Hagen and Bjørn Riise – one from a set-piece, the other from a counterattack – capped a professional performance from Norway, yet Hareide was hardly dazzled by a display which left them second in Group C behind already qualified Greece. "Our offensive play was simply not good enough and we lacked rhythm in our passing," said the 54-year-old. "What pleased me was the way everyone worked defensively."

Finishing touches
While conceding that "Bosnia-Herzegovina didn't create any clear openings", Hareide is at least satisfied that Norway managed to get full value for their efforts on the road. "This time we were clinical in front of goal," he said. "Earlier in the group things tended to go against us, but this was our turn to have luck on our side."

Turkey trial
Now he hopes that fortune will favour his team at Oslo's Ullevål Stadium when Norway attempt to maintain – even extend – their two-point advantage over third-placed Turkey as the sides meet next month. "A draw against Turkey could also be a good result for us," explained the coach. "If the match ends 0-0 or 1-1, we'll only need to draw in Malta to qualify." For the Turkey game, Hareide will expect to have John Carew back from injury while IK Start midfielder Kristofer Hæstad may also have returned from a lay-off with a foot problem.