Norway have reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time and do not look like they are ready to stop there.Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard are the standout names and their performances have helped to get Norway to where they are, but there is much more for Thomas Tuchel and England to worry about if they are to progress to the semifinals.From fitness levels to star quality to pressure and expectation — and, of course, Haaland — we asked our writers why they felt Norway can get past England on Saturday.Key Premier League players have had a slog of a seasonThomas Tuchel is known for wanting England to play like a Premier League club at this World Cup, but his most trusted players look exhausted from a slog of a 2025-26 season. Declan Rice is dealing with neural pain in his hamstring. Elliot Anderson fought tooth and nail to help keep Nottingham Forest up. Bukayo Saka is battling an Achilles issue that’s left him without his explosive burst.England have a great coach and positive momentum after their knockout victories over DR Congo and Mexico, but in both matches, their front press looked incoherent and inconsistent. Both opponents found it easy to move the ball around England. Both sides created dangerous chances that Haaland would punish with his efficiency. England’s back four looks shaky; Ezri Konsa had a fine season with Aston Villa but has been a fraction slow to the danger at this tournament. For all of Marc Guehi’s skills, he’s not great in the air, and John Stones’ match-sharpness remains an unknown quality.Declan Rice, among others, has had a draining season (Francois Nel/Getty Images)Man for man, England have a better team, and greater strength in depth. But Norway have a 1.95 m (6ft 5in) footballing cyborg up front. Someone who can turn a loose ball into a half-chance and a half-chance into a goal. Haaland has seven goals at this World Cup. If he can score his eighth early, England are in trouble. Carl AnkaExpectations and pressureThe psychology going into this game for England is far different from what they faced against Mexico. Tuchel’s side are not just coming up against the challenge of beating Haaland and Co, they are having to cope with the huge pressure caused by the increase in expectations.This is akin to what happened after the opening group-game victory against Croatia. Remember how giddy everyone of an English persuasion got after that 4-2 victory? Suddenly, England were being talked about as world beaters, but they laboured in their next three matches against teams they were expected to beat in Ghana, Panama and DR Congo.Those three sides deliberately set themselves up to make themselves hard to score against, exposing a lack of creativity in the England squad. Norway will have surely taken note, with the difference being that they have one of the best strikers in the world to punish Tuchel’s unconvincing defence.England went into the Mexico match inspired by having so many factors against them and with a lot of people dismissing their chances of winning the tournament. They played with a point to prove.Now they are the strong favourites for this tie, with people talking excitedly about the possible prospect of a semi-final against Lionel Messi’s Argentina. In contrast, Norway can go into the match with far less weight on their shoulders and can play with a freedom that many underdogs tend to enjoy. Simon JohnsonNorway perform more as a collective unitNorway do not have England’s individual star quality (a couple of players aside), but they can beat England as they are a much more cohesive team, who all know their individual jobs well, and focus on following the collective gameplan. This is most obvious in midfield. England have a much higher profile (and much more expensive) trio, but Rice, Anderson and Jude Bellingham have been more impressive as individuals than as a collective unit.None of Norway’s Patrick Berg, Sander Berge and Odegaard have been involved in a €100million-plus transfer yet, and likely never will be. But the trio have all rowed (ahem) together really well, playing to each other’s strengths, and covering their weaknesses, for the good of the team. Odegaard leads the celebrations after beating Senegal (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)Then there’s Haaland, who showed again against Brazil that his individual genius can make the difference against much better centre-backs than England will field.Dermot CorriganOK, so Haaland is a big part of it — plus Odegaard and NusaTo be clear, I back England but… Norway’s team has proven to be fearsome. In any given game, even against five-time World Cup winners Brazil, they can have the best player on the pitch in Haaland. Haaland, along with Odegaard and Antonio Nusa, is part of an attack that creates chances galore, having scored 12 goals in five games. Being in their first World Cup quarterfinal, they have nothing to lose and seem to be playing with joy and chemistry. Norway are not only comfortable in possession and technically proficient, as Odegaard showed towards the end of the Brazil game to Neymar’s frustration, but have physically imposing players in all areas of the pitch. Their goalkeeper, Orjan Nyland, has been playing out of his skin.The doubt I would have about this Norway team is their strength in depth, after their B team was soundly beaten 4-1 by France in their final group stage match. This could bode well for England, who used substitutes to great effect against Mexico. Eduardo TansleyHaaland will take some stopping (Al Bello/Getty Images)English paranoia vs Norwegian freedomNorway have every reason to believe they can do this and they will arrive flying after dumping out Brazil, with Haaland dragging them into their first World Cup quarterfinal and a whole country now daring to dream.This fixture has the feel of a Premier League showdown. Haaland knows England’s defenders from years of domestic battles, Odegaard will relish the midfield fight, and players such as Guehi, Konsa, Rice and Bellingham are all aware of their physicality.England have to manage more than Norway’s threat as they are walking a disciplinary tightrope. World Cup yellows are wiped after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals, but another booking here for anyone on one would mean a semifinal ban. Bellingham, Rice, Guehi and Nico O’Reilly are all in that danger zone. Jarell Quansah is banned after his red card against Mexico.Norway are fired up because they have never been here before and England — for all their talent — still carry that old tournament fear of another painful exit.Amelie ClaydonResting players against France paid off long-termNorway have earned their quarterfinal place by being balanced and fearless, and must not be underestimated by England.The first factor is fitness. While Tuchel has chosen his most well-suited side for all five games, Norway won their first two group matches and secured qualification, meaning 10 changes could be made for their final match against France.Losing 4-1 was a result Norway were happy to take, reverting back to their first-choice XI for knockout-phase wins over Ivory Coast and Brazil. Three of their four goals in those games came after the 75th minute, showing how fit and firing the squad really are.Not much more can be said about Haaland. He has scored over half of Norway’s goals in the tournament, including three of their four in the knockouts, but this team are more than their poster boy.Despite the post-match renditions of Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’, England’s win against Mexico felt like the moment the country came together, but Norway were already there. The ‘Viking Row’ craze involving players and fans around the world, the top-level experience in the squad and the character to edge tight contests against Senegal, Ivory Coast and Brazil demonstrate a team and a nation united and believing.There will be goals — Norway are yet to keep a clean sheet in the tournament — but they have a knack of finding ways to pick out Haaland that makes them formidable.George Edwards