Thomas Tuchel 'surprised' by Erling Haaland comments as England boss insists they can handle the pressure ahead of Norway quarter-final

Haaland has attempted to shift the pressure onto England's shoulders ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash in Miami. Despite his country's impressive campaign, which included dumping Brazil out in the round of 16, the striker insisted that his side's chances of emerging victorious are slim.

The Norwegian marksman firmly established his nation's underdog status during a pre-match interview with NRK, stating: "There is a very low probability that we will win. I think all of you should put all the pressure on England."

Those comments caught England manager Tuchel completely off guard, as he admitted his surprise that a global superstar of Haaland's calibre would actively look to dodge media scrutiny before such a crucial fixture.

Speaking to NRK, the German tactician expressed his bewilderment at the forward's psychological tactics while maintaining that the Three Lions are fully prepared to handle the immense weight of public expectation at the Miami Stadium. He said: "I'm surprised that Erling said that, because I've always thought that he loves pressure and thrives under pressure. I'm surprised that he's pushing it on us."

He added: "We love the pressure. It is what it is. I don't spend a minute thinking about who is the favorite and where the pressure is. I know very well that internally they are preparing to win the game. Why wouldn't they?"

Haaland's humble pre-match rhetoric sharply contrasts with his impressive performance on the pitch, where he has already scored seven goals in just his first four World Cup appearances. The clinical frontman could equal the legendary tournament goalscoring records of James Rodriguez and Gerd Muller if he manages to breach the English backline.

Conversely, England must fight to overcome their historical hoodoo, having repeatedly crumbled when facing fellow European opposition in the knockout stages of major international tournaments.

The victors of this showdown in Miami will advance to the semi-finals to face the winners of the parallel quarter-final tie between Argentina and Switzerland at the Kansas City Stadium. Before they can dream of a place in the final four, an England side currently unbeaten in seven successive matches must demonstrate defensive resilience to nullify the aggressive Norwegian attack spearheaded by Haaland.

Asked for his verdict on who is under the most pressure, Stale Solbakken said at a press conference on Friday: "I think England have more pressure than us, but we also put pressure on our performance. And when the game is going on, the players don't think about the pressure so much. It's 11 against 11. It's much more about talking about it beforehand."