Norway vs Israel Prediction for 12 October 2025 - Football

🔊 In Group I of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Norway and Israel—two of the most entertaining teams in the competition—are set to clash. The Scandinavians lead the scoring charts with an impressive 24 goals. Israel ranks third in this category. It's clear that many national teams haven't played as many matches yet. However, the Israelis are ahead of powerhouses like England, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Will the encounter at Ullevaal in Oslo deliver another goal-fest? Our editorial team offers an insightful prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 The first head-to-head between the national teams took place in March during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. That game certainly didn't disappoint the fans with its spectacle. Norway outperformed their opponents in expected goals by more than six times (4.19 xG to 0.63 xG), but only doubled their opponents in actual goals (4-2).

Norway Team Overview

The "Vikings" haven't tasted defeat since December of last year. Despite suffering a sole loss to Austria in the Nations League (1-5), Norway comfortably secured promotion to League A. Currently, Ståle Solbakken's squad boasts an impressive streak of seven consecutive victories. As a result, in their World Cup qualifiers, the "Drills" maintain a perfect record. They have confidently dispatched their main rivals for the top spot in the group: Italy (3-0) and Israel (4-2). In the September window, Norway played just one match, yet its scoring output could have filled an entire cycle. They utterly dismantled Moldova with an 11-1 thrashing.

The team's standout star, Erling Haaland, is in sensational form. He leads the qualification scoring charts with nine goals and also tops the Premier League with ten goals. Following him are Telo Asgaard with four goals and Alexander Sørloth with three. The captain, Martin Ødegaard, deserves mention for his playmaking prowess, having provided seven assists in the ongoing qualifiers.

Israel Team Overview

Ran Ben-Shimon's team has been delivering consistent performances in the qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Israel manage to defeat lower-ranked opponents but fall short against the group's favorites. During the last international break, the "blue and whites" secured a commanding victory over Moldova (4-0) but suffered a narrow defeat to Italy (5-4). Let's delve into that last match. The Israelis took the lead twice, maintaining a one-goal advantage by the 52nd minute. What followed was a goal-fest, with the score tied at 4-4 by the 89th minute. However, in stoppage time, Italy managed to edge out the nominal hosts and clinch the win (5-4).

The team's top scorers in the World Cup qualifiers, each with two goals, are midfielders. Mohammad Abu Fani missed the September camp due to injury but recovered in time to make an impact in his last match for Ferencváros. Dan Biton is in remarkable form for Hapoel Be'er Sheva, currently on a six-game scoring streak for his club. During the last international break, Manor Solomon stood out with a 1+2 performance and earned Man of the Match honors against Moldova. The Villarreal newcomer has also impressed in La Liga, registering 1+1 in his first three appearances.

Latest news

Norway

🎙 The upcoming game against Israel was on the verge of cancellation due to events unfolding in the Gaza Strip. Both politicians and athletes have spoken about the potential cancellation. Here are the words of Norway's head coach Ståle Solbakken: “I don't know if we should be worried about this match. However, it's clear that there will be numerous discussions about whether it should take place. And that's how it should be,” said the coach.

❌ Norway's squad issues arose right after the head coach announced the lineup for the camp. At the last moment, two defenders, Leo Østigård and Marcus Pedersen, were ruled out due to injuries. However, the biggest setback was the injury to team captain Martin Ødegaard. This marks the midfielder's third injury since the start of the season.

Israel

🎙 Opinions on the presence of Israel's national football team on the international stage are split into two camps. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivered the final verdict: “FIFA aims to harness the power of football to unite people in a divided world. Our thoughts are with those suffering in numerous conflicts happening around the globe today. The most important message football can convey right now is one of peace and unity. While we cannot resolve geopolitical issues, we can and must promote football worldwide, drawing on its unifying, educational, cultural, and humanitarian values.”

❌ Israel faces minimal but noticeable losses. Promising defender Stav Lemkin, who recently made his debut for the national team and solidified the defense in the match against Moldova, is sidelined due to injury.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by the main referee Szymon Marciniak from Poland. In the Ekstraklasa, he averages 3.6 yellow cards over his last 20 matches. The teams involved don't typically play rough; they average two cautions over their last five games. In their previous head-to-head, the number of yellow cards did not exceed 3.5. Our prediction: total yellow cards under 3.5.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Both teams consistently deliver goal-fests in their matches. The Norwegians scored 12 goals in their last game, while the clash between Israel and Italy saw nine goals. Their previous head-to-head thrilled fans with six goals. The upcoming opponents are ranked first (Norway) and third (Israel) in goals scored during World Cup qualifying. Neither side has any key absences in attack. We believe the upcoming match in Oslo will not disappoint in terms of excitement. We back this belief with a bet on total goals over 3.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Israel has been playing assertively in the current qualification campaign. Against group favorites Norway and Italy, they have not conceded more than 56% of territorial advantage. Both matches were nominally home games but took place on neutral grounds, so the trip to Oslo shouldn't drastically change the situation. In these encounters, the Israelis earned a total of six corners. We think that in the upcoming game, Israel's total corners will be over 2.5.

Among all the teams in Group I, Israel put up the most respectable fight against Norway in their head-to-head clash. However, they approach the upcoming match with some slight but noticeable defensive losses. Furthermore, their main goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz, having gained freedom from Bayern's bench, isn't making the lineup for Bundesliga newcomers Hamburg, meaning he lacks regular match practice and optimal form. And let's not forget, he'll be facing the formidable Erling Haaland. Norway's attack is elite, with Alexander Sørloth partnering Haaland up front—Sørloth is accustomed to the role of second striker, often appearing alongside Julian Alvarez at Atletico Madrid.

Norway have won by a margin of two goals or more in six of their last seven official matches, with the only exception being a trip to Estonia (1-0). At Ullevaal in Oslo, they boast similar stats—winning by such margins in four out of five matches there. Considering Israel's defensive issues, we expect, if not another rout by the hosts, at least a confident 3-1 victory in their favor. Our main bet recommendation is to take Norway to win with a -1.5 handicap.