Erling Haaland scores two more as Norway ease past Senegal

On a day when the goals were plentiful, one of the world's best strikers was not to be left off the scoresheet. Norway sensation Erling Haaland scored two stellar goals to lead his team to a fairly routine 3-2 win over Senegal at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Monday. Manchester City striker Haaland took his tournament tally to four goals and became only the second player in the past 50 years to score twice in each of his first two World Cup games.

Harry Kane was the other in 2018. In Monday's earlier games, Lionel Messi scored twice in Argentina's win, and Kylian Mbappé also had two as France beat Iraq. Marcus Pedersen had put the Vikings ahead in the 43rd minute after replacing an injured Julian Ryerson, and Haaland kept up his incredible goals streak in the 48th and 58th minutes to build a 3-1 lead.

First, he ran onto Martin Ødegaard's pass and put a left-footed shot past the outstretched left hand of goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, capping an end-to-end counterattack for a 2-0 lead. For his second goal, Haaland tunneled through the defense and volleyed in Patrick Berg's pass from 8 yards out. Haaland raised his hand to his ear to inspire the thousands of red-clad Norway supporters, who performed the Viking Row -- chanting "Ro!" while mimicking oarsmen behind the north goal.

Haaland has 24 goals in his past 12 international games, scoring at least once in every match, and 53 goals in 58 international appearances. He is second in the Golden Boot race, one behind Messi and tied with Mbappé. Haaland nearly got another in first-half stoppage time, hitting a post after Mendy lost control of the ball.

Ismaïla Sarr scored in the 53rd minute and in the third minute of second-half stoppage time for the Lions of Teranga, who made the end of the game a bit stressful for Norway, but no miracle comeback was in store. Making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, Norway (2-0) are assured of advancing from Group I along with France. The Vikings need to beat Les Bleus on Friday for first place and what would appear to be an easier path in the knockout bracket.

While not eliminated, Senegal are 0-2 in a World Cup for the first time and need a win over Iraq (0-2) to have any chance of advancing as a third-place team. Pederson entered in the 13th minute for his World Cup debut after Ryerson's injury, and Pederson put the Vikings ahead with the help of mistakes by Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly and Mendy. Ødegaard made a centering pass that Koulibaly cleared to Pedersen at the top of the arc.

Pederson took two touches and sent a savable shot inside the near post that glanced off Mendy's left hand and into the goal. Mendy left in the 63rd minute because of an injury. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.