Norway's route to the knockout stage has been built on a platform few teams this deep in a World Cup can rely on: set pieces. More of their goals have come from corners and free kicks than from open-play build-up, a pattern that says as much about their disciplined defensive shape as it does about their attacking creativity.
Brazil arrive having found their attacking rhythm late, after a slow opening game that drew criticism back home. Their front line is now combining for over two expected goals a match, a marked step up from the group stage.
The matchup is a clean contrast in styles — Brazil's fluent build-up against Norway's efficiency from static situations — and how referees officiate contact in the box could end up mattering as much as either side's open-play quality.
