Erling Haaland scores 5 as Norway keep pressure on Italy

Erling Haaland scored five goals as Norway pummeled Moldova 11-1 on Tuesday to maintain their perfect record in World Cup qualifying and stay atop the Group I table with 15 points in five games.

The five goals were a career high for Haaland while playing for Norway and the most by a European man in a World Cup qualifier since Austria's Hans Krankl set the UEFA record of six against Malta in 1977.

The result keeps Norway six points clear of second-place Italy, who barely escaped their Monday qualifier against Israel with a 5-4 win.

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Gennaro Gatuso's Azzurri do have a game in hand as they chase Norway, with Italy looking to avoid a second place finish and need to qualify via the playoff path.

Felix Horn Myhre and Martin Ødegaard both scored, while Thelo Aasgaard added four goals of his own in the runaway win for Norway, who face Italy on the last day of qualification in November.

Italy's game on Monday wasn't decided until Sandro Tonali netted a last-gasp winner that gave Gattuso's side the win and put them ahead of Israel in the table on goal difference.

Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti as Italy coach in June, acknowledged it was "the craziest game I've been involved with as a coach."

"But that's my fault and not down to the players," Gattuso added. "If we want to play in a certain way, we need to get better at this. We were crazy to systematically go on the attack. That's what Israel was waiting for. They hit us on the counter every time."

Four-time winners Italy have missed the last two World Cups.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.