– I play in a different position on the national team and I wish I had a different position at the club, the 20-year-old tells the press after the match against Italy, says fiery Antonio Nusa.
The national team profile is on everyone’s lips after ravaging the Italian defense at Ullevaal on Friday night, where it finally read 3–0 on the scoreboard.
The Norwegian dribbler was responsible for an assist and a goal, and he also had a number of great details during the match.
– Scratch your head enough
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National team manager Ståle Solbakken points out that Nusa has struggled with injuries and that it has ruined his rhythm at RB Leipzig. But he also thinks the position he is used in is a challenge.
– Then he has played wingback. When he is so far back in the field so often, he does not get the advantage when he is forward with the ball. He also does not have a full-back who can come forward and cut in. For his development, he has not been harmed by it. But if the Bundesliga is going to discover Nusa – and they have not – then he has to play in that position, says the national team manager.
This season Nusa has played as a right wingback, while for Norway he is a left winger.
ASSISTED AND SCORED: Antonio Nusa was directly involved in the first two goals at Ullevaal on Friday.
Nusa has played in 25 Bundesliga games for Leipzig this season, but has started less than half of them. He finished with three goals and four assists in the league.
– I have developed in other areas, but hopefully there will be more of that (playing on the left wing) so I can get the same type of matches every week, and not just when I am on the national team, he says.
– How are you doing in Leipzig? asks VG.
– How are you doing in Leipzig? asks VG.
– I’m fine no matter what, whether it’s good or bad. It’s not always just good. I’ll continue working at the club after the summer, but I continue to get better every day.
HOLY NUSA: NRK’s football expert Kristoffer Løkberg.
NRK’s football expert Kristoffer Løkberg is very impressed with the Norwegian dribbler, and he doubts that Nusa will continue to play fullback for the German club.
He emphasizes that the advantage of playing in that position is that he has become a better defensive player.
– Yes, it’s not the best practice that Leipzig and Nusa are doing. He plays in a position that requires more of what he’s not that good at. They’re probably scratching their heads about how they can get the best out of Nusa, and whether they should change the way they play a little so that it suits him better, says Løkberg.
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RB Leipzig will hire a new coach before the upcoming season. This means that Nusa’s everyday life could be quite different when he returns to his German club.
Løkberg believes this is a great advantage.
– The next manager thinks that this man will play week in and week out and tailor the team to his skills, says the expert.
Haaland is praised
Still, Løkberg is not sure that Nusa will play in Leipzig any longer. He believes that the biggest clubs in the world should be interested in the winger.
– Who in Europe is actually a better talent on the left wing? There aren’t many, he says and continues:
– A team like Barcelona would see him as a future investment. It’s not certain that he would go straight into the team, but imagine Lamine Yamal on one wing and Nusa on the other.
Erling Braut Haaland paid tribute to his younger teammate in front of TV 2.
– Today he is Lamine Yamal level, but Yamal is still a cut above him. It’s fantastic, said the Norwegian super striker.
HERJER: Lamine Yamal (17) has amazed the entire football world this season.
– It’s not easy to choose the right club in 2025 with so many temptations and clubs. It’s about having good people around you. He has that and has chosen the perfect clubs. It’s amazing to see, he continued.
Ståle Solbakken and the national team had one of the best international matches of all time after a 3-0 victory over Italy, and a number of experts believe that Norway will go to the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
Norway tops the group with nine points. The closest competitor as of now is Israel, which has six points and a significantly weaker goal difference than the Norwegian team.
On Monday it’s Estonia’s turn. They lost 1–3 at home to Israel on Friday night.
And even though there is still a little way to go before the World Cup ticket is completely secured, Solbakken’s team are clear favorites to top the group. After Friday’s 3-0 win over Italy, the probability of Norway winning the group has been adjusted up to 77 percent, according to analysts at Football Meets Data.