Preview: Norway vs. Georgia - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts are currently third in the section on four points, two points behind second-placed Spain, while Georgia are fourth, having also gathered four points from their opening four matches.

Match preview

Norway have found it difficult in Group A thus far, winning just one of their four matches, with a total of four points leaving them in third position in the section.

The Lions are only two points behind second-placed Spain, but La Roja have a game in hand, and Norway could quickly find themselves out of contention if they are unable to put a run of positive results together.

Stale Solbakken's side suffered a 3-0 defeat to Spain in their Group A opener before drawing with Georgia and losing to Scotland in their next two, but they beat Cyprus 3-1 in their last game in the group.

Norway were in friendly action last week, meanwhile, recording a 6-0 victory over Jordan, so they will be bidding to make it three wins in a row on Tuesday night.

The national side have only competed in the finals of the European Championship once, which came back in 2000, failing to make it out of the group stage, while they have not qualified for a World Cup since 1998.

Georgia, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 7-1 loss to Spain, which left them on four points in Group A, sitting in fourth position, behind Norway on goal difference.

The Crusaders started well, drawing 1-1 at home to Norway at the end of March before recording a 2-1 victory over Cyprus in their second match in the section in the middle of June.

Willy Sagnol's side lost 2-0 away to Scotland in their third game, though, before conceding seven in a stunning loss to Spain on Friday, which demonstrates the importance of picking up a positive result here.

Georgia have never qualified for the finals of a major tournament, so it would be some achievement if they were able to advance to next summer's European Championship.

Tuesday's contest will be just the fifth ever meeting between these two countries, and Norway lead the head-to-head, having recording three wins, with the other fixture - the reverse game in Group A - finishing level.

Norway Euro Champ Qualifying form:

L

D

L

W

Norway form (all competitions):

D

L

D

L

W

W

Georgia Euro Champ Qualifying form:

D

W

L

L

Georgia form (all competitions):

L

W

D

W

L

L

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Team News

Unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland was not involved against Jordan on Thursday, but the Manchester City forward will be in the starting side for this match.

Haaland has 24 goals in 25 caps for his national side, and the 23-year-old is expected to feature alongside Markus Solbakken and Jorgen Strand Larsen in the final third of the field.

Martin Odegaard is the captain and will feature in a three-man midfield on Tuesday, with Patrick Berg and Fredrik Aursnes also set to start, while Leo Skiri Ostigard will again play in the middle of the defence.

As for Georgia, head coach Sagnol is expected to resist the temptation to completely shuffle his pack following the heavy home loss to Spain last time out.

There are set to be some alterations, though, due to the nature of the performance, with Anzor Mekvabishvili, Zuriko Davitashvili and Lasha Dvali likely to start.

Giorgi Chakvetadze scored off the bench against Spain, meanwhile, and the 24-year-old is also expected to be introduced into the starting XI for the contest with Norway.

Napoli's Khvicha Kvartashkelia is the team's star player, and he will again feature in the final third.

Norway possible starting lineup:

Nyland; Ryerson, Strandberg, Ostigard, Meling; Odegaard, Berg, Aursnes; Larsen, Haaland, O Solbakken

Georgia possible starting lineup:

Mamardashvili; Gocholeishvili, Kvirkvelia, Kashia, Dvali; Davitashvili, Mekvabishvili, Chakvetadze, Kvaratskhelia; Mikautadze, Kiteishvili

We say: Norway 2-1 Georgia

Georgia are a lot better than they showed against Spain last time out, and we are expecting an improvement from Sagnol's side in this match. Norway have two of the best players in the Premier League in the shape of Odegaard and Haaland, though, and we are backing the duo to play a key part in a home win here.

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