– He nodded where necessary.

That’s what TV profiler Morten Langli wrote on Twitter after Leo Østigård dominated Norway’s central defense in a 1-0 win against Serbia on Thursday night.

Østigård, who had just 1.82 in stock, won most of his duels with quick, smart and irreverent defensive play.

If he searches his trouser pockets to return to Belgrade, don’t ignore him finding Serbian super striker Aleksandar Mitrovic among his possessions.

– Must have had a concussion

The Fulham star was largely sent off by stopping solid play by Østigård and partner Stefan Strandberg.

– I thought he put in a fantastic match, Leo was very solid in his own box. “I think he has a concussion after all the titles he’s had,” Marcus Holmgren Pedersen told NRK.

NRK pundit Carl-Erik Torp proclaimed Østigård the best on the pitch, and the youngster has also received plaudits in the country’s exchanges. VG and Nettavisen both give it a 7/10, Dagbladet 6/10.

– The two centre-backs played a good match, and all four played a really good game. But Leo is fit, playing a lot and very confident now. He has been allowed to use his legs a bit[in Italy]not just his head like he did in the Championship. Both him and Stefan (Strandberg) were good today,” Solbakken told NRK after the game.

– He’s not the tallest stopper, but he has incredible endurance?

– Yes, I don’t know if he also tries to imitate Fabio Cannavaro in his performance, but he is very similar, said Solbakken.

This is music to Østigård’s ears.

– That’s my big idol. I want to be myself, but I’ve watched him a lot, and he’s a bit like me, said the Norwegian goalkeeper.

Another similarity is the height. At 1.76m, Cannavaro isn’t the longest stopper either, but is still known to be very good in the air.

– Grandfather must hug me tightly

This season, Østigård has impressed in Cannavaro’s homeland for Genoa, where he has been on loan from Brighton. There were also two red cards.

At the press zone in Serbia on Thursday night, Østigård said he sometimes struggles with his emotions.

– I remember when I was little, grandfather had to hold me. I get hot on top once in a while, but the older you get, the more routine you get, and I love winning games. That’s why, said Østigård.

– Heading a ball since I was three years old

Østigård said that it was no coincidence that he was given heads play as the x-factor despite his modest stopping height.

– Endurance is one thing, and timing is another. My father and I have practiced a lot about it, and it is also its great power. I’ve been heading balls since I was three years old, and then you have to do well,” he told NRK.

Before the start of the game, the stoppage position was a major point of uncertainty for the Norwegian team. Strandberg has played little football in the last six months, while Østigård has only played one A-national game before Thursday.

But the collaboration with Stefan Strandberg went smoothly.

– It’s a lot of fun playing with Stefan. We had a plan before the game and we knew that was how it was going to be. We scored 1-0, and then we got a bit cowardly – but Stefan and I felt comfortable in our own boxes. For us that’s pretty good. They had some bad chances, but it was great fun to win 1-0. That is the best thing for a defender, said Østigård after the match.

– Such matches were wrong in the past

Victory in Belgrade gave Norway an excellent starting point before their next match in the National League. Østigård agreed with Stefan Strandberg that the three-pointer could be called a milestone for the Norwegian national team.

– Yes, there have been matches like that that went a little wrong in the past. It’s important to have a few games like this where you get confident and win. Three points are very important, and keeping a clean sheet is very important away from home, Østigård told NRK.

Therefore, Norway’s next game will be away to Sweden the following Sunday night at 20.45. Then there are two home matches against Slovenia on June 9 and Sweden again on June 12.

The Nations League group stage then concludes with two matches in September against Slovenia (away) and Serbia (home).