Solbakken Hands Nusa the Keys as Norway Chase Quarter-Final Lifeline Against Wales

Norway and Wales have confirmed their starting XIs for Saturday's UEFA Nations League A Group 4 fixture at the Ullevaal Stadion, with Ståle Solbakken and Craig Bellamy both opting for familiar shapes but very different attacking profiles.

Solbakken sends Norway out in a 4-2-3-1, with Antonio Nusa stationed in the attacking line behind the striker. Nusa is the youngest player in either XI and the most direct carrier in the Norwegian squad. His inclusion signals that Solbakken wants verticality from the first whistle, not patient circulation. David Møller Wolfe starts at left-back, giving Norway a natural left-footed outlet on the overlap.

Wales line up in a 4-4-2 under Craig Bellamy, with Brennan Johnson and Daniel James paired in attack. Ben Davies anchors the back line. The shape is the one Wales have used most often in this campaign, and it asks Johnson and James to stretch the Norwegian centre-backs with runs into the channels. Both are quick enough to trouble a high line, and both have the work rate to press Norway's deep midfielders when Wales are out of possession.

Norway's 4-2-3-1 gives them a spare man in central midfield against Wales's two. That extra body should allow Solbakken's side to control the tempo and feed Nusa between the lines. The risk is that Wales's front two cut off passes into the double pivot, forcing Norway wide and into crosses that Ben Davies and his centre-back partner can defend.

Wales's 4-4-2 is a pressing shape first and a defensive block second. Johnson and James will split when Norway build from the back, with the wide midfielders tucking in to protect the central corridor. If Norway's full-backs push high, Wales will look to spring Johnson and James into the space behind. That is the most direct route to goal for Bellamy's side, and it does not require sustained possession.

Antonio Nusa is the selection that will draw the most attention. He starts in the hole rather than on the wing, which puts him in direct competition with Wales's central midfielders for the ball between the lines. If Nusa receives on the half-turn, Norway can attack Wales's back four before it is set. If Wales smother him, Norway's attack becomes predictable.

David Møller Wolfe's inclusion at left-back is the other notable call. He offers natural width on that side, which should allow Nusa to drift inside more often. The combination of Wolfe overlapping and Nusa drifting is Norway's clearest route to creating a overload on Wales's right.

Both teams are still in with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. Norway have lost each of their last three matches in Group A4, a run that has left them with a mountain to climb. Wales arrive at Ullevaal knowing a win would strengthen their own position in the group.

The last meeting between these sides in Cardiff ended in a Wales victory over 10-man Norway, a night when Erling Haaland was kept on the fringe of the game. Norway will need Haaland more involved this time, and the 4-2-3-1 with Nusa behind him is designed to do exactly that.

Kick-off at the Ullevaal Stadion is next. The team sheets are in, the shapes are set, and the first question is whether Wales's front two can disrupt Norway's spare man in midfield before Nusa finds his rhythm.