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    Norway vs. Cymru | Friendly match – Football – Male – U-21

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        Live ReportMatch Summary

        1. POST-MATCH VERDICT

          Cymru Under-21s were defeated 4-0 against Norway in their final friendly fixture on Friday before their 2027 UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign.

          Matty Jones’ side had hoped to build on a strong March camp — where they claimed positive results against Andorra and Sweden — but were unable to replicate that form against a well-organised Norwegian outfit.

          Norway made a bright start to the game and nearly opened the scoring inside the first four minutes, with Jens Hjertø-Dahl breaking down the right before being denied by a strong save from Lewys Benjamin.

          The pressure told in the 15th minute, as Sindre Egeli slotted home a composed finish past the advancing Benjamin, meeting Marius Broholm’s low cross to give Norway the lead.

          Despite responding positively after a brief water break on 25 minutes, Cymru found themselves two goals down shortly after the half-hour mark. Broholm cut in from the right and fired a powerful shot beyond the outstretched Benjamin to double Norway’s advantage.

          Cymru created chances before the break in an effort to pull one back. Kai Andrews saw a promising effort strike a Norway defender’s arm, but appeals for a penalty were waved away by the referee. Moments later, Archie Harris delivered a dangerous cross into the box, met by Chris Popov, who directed his header just wide of the post.

          Norway nearly added a third early in the second half when Egeli drove at the Cymru defence and curled a superb effort that clipped the outside of the post.

          Cymru responded with a chance of their own shortly after. Cian Ashford showed quick feet to beat his man on the edge of the area, but his powerful strike was well blocked by the Norwegian defence.

          Norway eventually extended their lead in the 84th minute. A slick move down the right ended with Dennis Gjengaar pulling the ball back for Henrik Skogvold, who calmly slotted into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.

          The fourth came in stoppage time after Cymru failed to clear their lines inside the area. A clearance from Thierry Katsukunya was charged down by Bo Åsulv Heggland, whose deflected effort looped past substitute goalkeeper Evan Watts.

          Despite a late push for a consolation goal, Cymru couldn’t break through a disciplined Norwegian backline.

          Jones’ side will now look ahead to the start of their 2027 European Championship qualifying campaign, which begins against Denmark on 8th September.

        2. FULL TIME

          Cymru are defeated in Spain. They now turn their attentions to their 2027 European Qualifying campaign commencing in September.

        3. 90' + 1'

          Goal

          Bo Åsulv Heggland

        4. 90'

          GOAL

          Norway get their fourth goal of the game after Katsukunya’s clearance comes off the on-running Bo Åsulv Heggland.

        5. 87'

          Tanatswa Nyakuhwa sends in a ball from the right in search of a late Cymru goal, but his cross is swept to safety by substitute goalkeeper Magnus Reeves.

        6. 84'

          GOAL

          Norway get their third of the match. After a smart move down the right-hand side, Dennis Gjengaar’s pull-back finds Henrik Skogvold who picks out the bottom corner.

        7. 84'

          Goal

          Henrik Skogvold

        8. 82'

          Substitution

          Bo Åsulv Heggland replaces Sindre Walle Egeli

        9. 82'

          Substitution

          Jakon Napoleon Romsaas replaces Jens Hjertø-Dahl

        10. 82'

          Substitution

          PERRETT Troy replaces COTTERILL Joel Leigh

        11. 81'

          Yellow card

          LAWLOR Dylan

        12. 80'

          Dylan Lawlor receives a yellow card for a foul on Bo Åsulv Heggland.

        13. 77'

          Niklas Ødegård gets in behind the Cymru backline but his effort is blocked well by Thierry Katsukunya.

        14. Second half action 📸

        15. 64'

          Dylan Lawlor finds the run of Tanatswa Nyakuhwa down the near left but the winger is flagged for offside in the build-up.

        16. 64'

          Substitution

          Victor Emanuel Halvorsen replaces Edvin Austbø

        17. 64'

          Substitution

          Dennis Gjengaar replaces Oliver Johansen Braude

        18. 64'

          Substitution

          Niklas Ødegård replaces Sverre Halseth Nypan

        19. 64'

          Substitution

          Oskar Sivertsen replaces Nikolai Søyset Hopland

        20. 63'

          Substitution

          BLAND Jonathan replaces COLWILL Joel

        21. 63'

          Substitution

          NYAKUHWA Tanatswa replaces CONGREVE Cameron Mark

        22. 63'

          Substitution

          PARKER Samuel David replaces HARRIS Archie

        23. 57'

          Cian Ashford turns his man well on the edge of the area before curling a powerful effort which is blocked by the Norway defence.

        24. 52'

          Norway go close through Jens Hjertø-Dahl but Joel Colwill makes a brilliant last-ditch tackle inside the box to deny the midfielder.

        25. 50'

          Cymru come close. Cameron Congreve’s set-piece delivery isn’t dealt with by the Norway defence but Cian Ashford can’t quite fire an effort goalward.

        26. 47'

          Sindre Egeli goes close for Norway. The forward drives inside towards the Cymru backline before curling a delightful strike that cannons off the outside of the post.

        27. 46'

          Back underway for the second half in Spain.

        28. HALF TIME

          Cymru are behind at the break.

        29. 45' + 2'

          Archie Harris swings in a good cross from the left which is met by the on-running Chris Popov. The forward can only force a header wide.

        30. 45' + 2'

          Substitution

          Henrik Skogvold replaces Marius Broholm

        31. 45'

          There will be two additional minutes.

        32. 43'

          Edvin Austbø cuts in from the right well but his shot can only find the side-netting for a Cymru goal-kick.

        33. 37'

          Looking for a way back into the game 🔎

        34. 32'

          Norway double their lead through Marius Broholm. The winger cuts inside well before powering a good strike past Lewys Benjamin.

        35. 32'

          Goal

          Marius Broholm

        36. 29'

          Cymru move the ball well on the edge of the box and Andrews hits a low strike which is well blocked.

        37. 25'

          Marius Broholm delivers a high cross into the box but Cymru defend it well and are able to clear.

        38. 20'

          Goal

          Sindre Walle Egeli

        39. 15'

          GOAL

          Norway make the breakthrough in the match after Sindre Egeli tucks home a neat finish past Benjamin.

        40. 10'

          Kai Andrews advances through into the Norway box but his low effort is blocked wide of the target.

        41. Llun y tîm 📸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

        42. 8'

          Edvin Austbø tries to find the run of Nypan in behind but its well defended by Ben Hammond.

        43. 4'

          Norway calve out the first opportunity of the game with Lewys Benjamin pulling off a strong save to deny Jens Hjertø-Dahl.

        44. 1'

          KICK OFF!

          Cymru get the match underway in Spain.

        45. '

          Substitution

          Rasmus Holten replaces Alwande Roaldsøy

        46. '

          Substitution

          Magnus Rugland Ree replaces Martin Børsheim

        47. '

          Substitution

          WATTS Evan Thomas replaces BENJAMIN Lewys

        48. '

          Substitution

          KATSUKUNYA Thierry replaces HAMMOND Benjamin

        49. Warm-ups complete for Cymru.

        50. The scene is set at Marbella Football Center ahead of kick-off.

        51. TEAM NEWS

          How Cymru line-up to face Norway this afternoon.

        52. ‘PERFORMANCE’ KEY FOR POPOV

          Cymru under-21 forward Chris Popov has stressed the importance of maintaining momentum and executing the team’s game plan as they prepare to take on Norway.

          “Every international game is a big game for everyone,” said Popov pre-match. “No matter if it’s a friendly or not, the pride of playing for your country is always there.

          “We know it’s going to be a tough game because they’re a good side, but we’ve done our homework. The staff have prepared us well, and now our job is to execute the game plan.

          “Momentum is going to be big for us. We had a good camp in March—an unbeaten one—and we’ll be looking to do the same this time around.

          “The most important thing on Friday is how we perform. If we do that, then the result will hopefully take care of itself.”

        55. WILLIAMS EXPECTING ‘TOUGH’ NORWAY TEST

          Cymru Under-21 defender Zac Williams says he is anticipating a tough challenge against Norway this Friday, but remains confident that his side has the quality to pose problems for their opponents.

          The young Dragons will take on Norway on Friday, 6 June at 3pm BST in Marbella—a fixture head coach Matty Jones sees as a vital test in preparation for their upcoming 2027 European qualifiers.

          “It’s been a good camp so far, and I’m really looking forward to the rest of it,” said Williams pre-match.
          “The game against Norway will definitely be a tough test—there’s no doubt about that. They’re a very strong nation, but we believe we have enough quality in our squad to get a result.

          “We know we’ve got a strong group here, and we’re confident we can compete well throughout the campaign. There’s a great balance within the squad, and the atmosphere is really positive.

          “There are a lot of talented players in this group, and I’m confident we’ll perform well—both this week and in the qualifiers to come.”

        59. SQUAD VISIT BIG PIT

          Ahead of their travels to Spain, the under-21 squad visited the historical Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon to understand the history of mining in Wales.

        60. SQUAD WALK SKIRRID FAWR

          Ahead of their friendly against Norway in Spain, the under-21s squad walked Skirrid Fawr on Saturday afternoon.

        61. MOMENTUM KEY FOR JONES

          Manager Matty Jones believes that building momentum will be crucial for his team as they approach their final warm-up match before their 2027 UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign.

          Cymru will look to carry the confidence from their strong performances in the March international window, where they secured a 1-0 win over Andorra and a 1-1 draw with Sweden—both matches also held in Spain.

          “Momentum is key,” he explains. “It showed in the last campaign where we were hugely successful. The process we went through prior—putting the right foundations in place, selecting the right players to compete in those friendlies against Colombia, Scotland, and Austria—was crucial.

          “It gave us the confidence to take that belief into the campaign. That bodes really well for this camp. Having the friendly against Andorra and Sweden, and having success both on and off the pitch, I’m expecting the same next week. It’s not just about off-pitch behaviours and getting the environment right for the players. It’s about allowing them to express themselves and perform to the best of their abilities.

          “But ultimately, I’m not afraid to say it: we’re there to compete, and we’re there to win games. Whatever the game, we’re there to challenge everyone.

          “There’s a real sense of belief in what we can achieve, and with the right preparation, we’re ready to take on whatever comes next.”

        62. SQUAD ANNOUCEMENT

          Matty Jones has announced his Cymru U21 squad for their upcoming friendly against Norway in Spain.

          Jones has named a 21-player squad for the trip to Malaga, where Cymru will face Norway on Friday 6th June at 3pm BST.

          Lewys Benjamin, Joel Cotterill, Cian Ashford, Kai Andrews, Sam Parker, Dylan Lawlor, Rhys Thomas and Luey Giles were all called up to Craig Bellamy’s senior training camp earlier this month and are selected by Jones.

          Benjamin, Cotterill, Ashford and Giles are among those included who already have experience at under 21 level, while there are 12 uncapped players named in this squad.

          Jones’ side will look to build on a positive March window where they recorded a 1-0 victory against Andorra and a 1-1 draw with Sweden in Spain.

          The clash against Norway is Cymru’s final game before they kick off their 2027 UEFA U21 EURO qualifying campaign later this year. They start the campaign with a home fixture against the top seeds in Group I Denmark on Monday 8 September 2025.

          Cymru U21: Evan WATTS (Swansea City), Lewys BENJAMIN (Wolves), Luke ARMSTRONG (Cardiff City), Archie HARRIS (AFC Bournemouth), Luey GILES (Cardiff City), Zac WILLIAMS (Crewe Alexandra), Ben HAMMOND (Nottingham Forest), Thierry KATSUKUNYA (Aston Villa), Dylan LAWLOR (Cardiff City), Sam PARKER (Swansea City), Alex WILLIAMS (West Bromwich Albion), Rhys THOMAS (Man City), Joel COTTERILL (Swansea City), Kai ANDREWS (Coventry City), Jonathan BLAND (Barnsley), Joel COLWILL (Cardiff City), Troy PERRETT (Cardiff City), Cian ASHFORD (Cardiff City), Tanatswa NYAKUHWA (Cardiff City), Cameron CONGREVE (Swansea City), Chris POPOV (Leicester City).

        63. There is no live report available for this match

        Lineups

        Starting

          Substitutes

            Starting

              Substitutes

                Match Info

                Stadium

                Date & Time

                Referee

                Fourth Official

                Assistant Referees

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