Norway's World Cup run keeps City's No.9 away from pre-season
Erling Haaland's 86th-minute winner against Ivory Coast has set up a last-16 meeting with Brazil and handed Enzo Maresca an immediate problem before his first pre-season as Manchester City manager has properly begun.
The goal was Haaland's fifth of the tournament and kept Norway alive. For City, it also prolonged one of the more awkward summer calculations around their new boss.
Haaland's form is not the issue. He looks sharp, decisive and fully locked in with Norway.
The problem for Maresca is timing.
City are moving into a post-Pep Guardiola reset. There is work to do on pressing triggers, midfield spacing and the service patterns around their No.9. Every extra Norway match cuts into the time Maresca has with the player who still defines City's penalty-box threat.
Haaland has played down Norway's chances, telling Fox Sports their probability of going through is “very slim”. Brazil will not see it quite so lightly.
Brazil are still chasing a first win over Norway in five meetings, with Haaland and Martin Odegaard carrying the underdog story into New Jersey.
For Maresca, the ideal outcome is harder to call. A deeper Norway run keeps Haaland in rhythm, but it also pushes his City return further back.
City's new era is already starting on someone else's calendar.