Manchester United fans in Norway have been put in a difficult position for the past year. While they still harbour the same passion and devotion for their beloved club, their star player has just won a Treble with Man City.
There is an enormous sense of national pride at the extraordinary exploits of Erling Haaland, though it poses a dilemma for those who prefer the red half of Manchester.
For many, it was the exploits of Norwegian stars such as Henning Berg, Ronny Johnson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that forged their love for the club in the first place. In the decades to come, it could be sky blue rather than scarlet red that is most associated with Manchester in these parts.
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No matter how successful Haaland is at City, it will take some work. United’s trip to Oslo a year ago was in celebration of Manchester United Supporters Club Scandinavia's 30th anniversary; returning a year later shows just how important these fans are to the club.
Those links with Norway were rekindled during Solskjaer’s reign, and four years ago, it was he who brought United to his homeland for a match against Kristiansund before the season started. A third visit in five years is a canny move for United at a time when Haaland-mania risks challenging their dominance in the region, but there is still no denying that Erik ten Hag is a more popular figure in Norway’s capital than Pep Guardiola.
The fans who pack out the Ullevaal Stadion on Wednesday evening will not only be treated to the sight of Mason Mount’s debut, as they were with Christian Eriksen a year ago, but they could get a glimpse into the future as well.
Isak Hansen-Aarøen is one of the brightest stars of the United academy and will be eager for a chance this summer to stake his first-team ambitions. He might not get any better opportunity than playing in front of a home crowd at the national stadium, something he will have dreamed of doing ever since he was a child coming through the ranks of Tromsø.
Ten Hag has brought an experimental side to Oslo for the summer opener and will rely on many academy talents to get them across the line against Leeds. With so many senior stars set to return in the coming weeks, those opportunities for young players could go as quickly as they have come, so there is not much time to impress.
Hansen-Aarøen might only have one chance this summer to make an impact on the first team, but he will have the entire backing of the stadium to do so if it indeed comes today.
He will turn 19 next month, the same age Haaland moved to Dortmund and began to prove himself capable of performing at the very top level. Of course, players develop at different speeds, and likening him to an extra-terrestrial talent isn't doing him any favours.
However, it is certainly relevant to note that Hansen-Aarøen is less than two months younger than Alejandro Garnacho and is at a stage now where he will feel he needs to be tested in a senior environment.
Any appearance today could shed light on just how prepared he is for such a task and could influence any decision to send the Norwegian teenager out on loan in the coming weeks.
City might have the current superstar of Norway, but United hope they have the next.
