Norway face the Socceroos tomorrow morning (4 am AEST) in Bert van Marwijk's first game as Socceroos boss.

On the surface, he could have hardly asked for a better opponent. Norway have struggled lately, never looking close to qualifying for the 2018 tournament, but they're not exactly a minnow, either.

Norway have chosen a full-strength squad brimming with European experience to face the Socceroos, so a solid but unspectacular win will be all it takes to evoke confidence in the dressing room and van Marwijk's leadership.

It will also be important heading into a far-more-uncertain clash against South American powerhouse Colombia. If there's one thing Norway will have on their side, it's home-ground advantage.

While the Socceroos have avoided an Oslo winter and the difficult conditions, former Socceroo and Tippeligaen (now called the Eliteserien) topscorer, Clayton Zane, said Norway will have strong home support.

“The whole nation is very patriotic and everyone loves to get around the national team,” Zane told a-league.com.au

“It doesn’t matter what code or sport it is, if it’s the national team they get behind it.”

“I think there will be a really good crowd when Australia play Norway, even though (Norway) hasn’t done so well of late.”

THE FACTS

Currently ranked 56th by FIFA, Norway hasn't competed in a World Cup since 1998 due to difficult UEFA qualifying. Formerly the home of regular Champions League club Rosenborg, Norwegian football has been on a slight decline over the previous decade.

In the 90s - the time of Rosenborg's dominance - Norway were one of the finest sides in world football. Boasting the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Tore Andre Flo, they made it to number two in the world in 1993.

The 2000s saw a gradual decline, despite producing players like John Carew, John Arne Riise and Brede Hangeland. They finished fourth in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group, one spot behind future Socceroos opponents the Czech Republic.

To make matters worse for Lars Lagerback's side, Norway are reeling from a recent 6-0 loss to Germany and a 2-0 defeat to Northern Ireland in their last match.

"There has been a gradual decline," former Fulham icon Hangeland told Foxsports.

"The highlight was being ranked second in the world behind Brazil! That is probably never going to happen again.

"In the 90s, we were innovators of world football - playing a style that was extremely effective. At the same time, we had a number of players in the top leagues, particularly the English Premier League.

"Since then, the big leagues have become multi-national, rather than just for western Europe - so it has become a more global playing field.

"We also have a long winter, and only 5 million people to choose from. The standard of football here now is probably more at its natural level."

THREATS

The youngest player to appear for Real Madrid, Martin Odegaard, is one of the more exciting prospects in Norwegian coach Lars Lagerback's squad. 

Now 19-years-old, Odegaard is currently on loan to Eredivise club Herenveen from the Spanish giants, attempting to justify claims that at just 16, he was the most talented young player in the world.

Kristoffer Ajer is another one to watch, the Celtic youngster playing alongside Tom Rogic in the Hoops' midfield.

"He has shown that he’s a very promising player," Norway coach Lars Lagerback told The Herald of Ajer.

"We want to have him in the squad now to have a look at him.

"What he has done since he started to play regularly for Celtic before Christmas has been impressive."

But it's not all pomp and potential for the Scandinavians. Bournemouth and former Manchester United striker Josh King notched 16 goals in the Premier League last season, while Hull City midfielder Markus Henriksen has Premier League experience. 

Mat Leckie teammate Rune Jarstein has been in phenomenal form this season for Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga, while former-Arsenal player Havard Nordveit is a regular for German high-flyers 1899 Hoffenheim.

VERDICT

Overall, the Norwegians have a balanced squad that's capable all over the pitch. They have pace in attacking areas, solid defensive midfielders and one exciting playmaker in Odegaard.

Yet they've still performed weakly in recent years, showing substantial defensive frailties. The Socceroos should win, but it's a close-enough away encounter that a draw remains likely.