Norway are back at a World Cup and Haaland made sure everyone noticed. Two goals, one assist, 17 points. If you captained him, that is 34 sitting in the bank.
This was not a clean Norway cruise, though. Iraq had a proper spell, Aymen Hussein levelled it, and Norway still looked a little open at the back. Then Haaland did Haaland things and the game swung hard.
Here are the Demon Notes from Norway 4-1 Iraq: captain call, cheap defender traps, and what actually matters before MD2.
Norway 4-1 Iraq
- Goals: Haaland x2, Ostigard, Aymen Hussein OG | Aymen Hussein
- Top fantasy points: Haaland 17, Ostigard 10, Moller Wolfe 7, Aymen Hussein 7, Al Ammari 7
- Haaland captain score: 34 points
- Next Norway fixture: Senegal in MD2
Team Stats
Player Stats
| Player | Team | Price | Pts | MD1 | MD2 xPts | Selected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | Norway | $10.5m | 17 | 2 goals, 1 assist | 7.5 | 32.8% |
| Leo Ostigard | Norway | $4.1m | 10 | Goal | 0.8 | 0.2% |
| David Moller Wolfe | Norway | $4.0m | 7 | Returned | 2.9 | 1.7% |
| Martin Odegaard | Norway | $7.7m | 5 | Returned | 2.5 | 4.8% |
| Aymen Hussein | Iraq | $5.3m | 7 | Goal | 2.9 | 0.1% |
| Amir Al Ammari | Iraq | $5.3m | 7 | Returned | 3.2 | 0.0% |
Demon Notes
- Haaland ($10.5m) smashed it. Seventeen points, 34 as captain, biggest captain return of the tournament so far. You do not get cute with that unless you enjoy pain.
- The two goals were the headline, but the assist keeps him feeling dangerous beyond pure poaching. Norway found him in the box, used him as the target, and still had him alive when Iraq started wobbling.
- Iraq deserve credit here. They were not just sitting deep and praying. Hussein's equaliser came during a good spell, and Norway's defence gave up enough moments to make Senegal and France look scary on paper.
- Ostigard ($4.1m) was the classic fantasy trap: defender scores, everyone looks twice. Ten points is great if you owned him, but do not buy a Norway centre-back just because he scored once. Senegal next is a different test.
- Moller Wolfe ($4.0m) is the better cheap-defender conversation because he started, returned and saves cash. The problem is simple: Norway now play Senegal and France. That is not where you go hunting clean sheets.
- Odegaard ($7.7m) ticked along with five points. Fine player, fine return, not a must-buy. If he stays under 5% he has scouting-bonus upside, but the fixture makes him a watchlist name rather than a priority transfer.
- Aymen Hussein ($5.3m) gave Iraq a proper World Cup moment. Cheap forward, goal, seven points. Lovely story, but the next fixtures still make him a hard sell unless you are chasing a very specific differential.
MD2 Fantasy Takeaway
If you captained Haaland, Demon says stick. Thirty-four captain points is a monster score. Let other managers chase the perfect week; you already have the haul.
For transfers, keep Haaland in the premium conversation and be careful with the rest. Norway can score against anyone, but their next two fixtures are not friendly enough to start chasing cheap defender points.