Austria 1-0 Norway: Two-time tournament winners out of Euro 2022

Two-time winners Norway failed to reach the European Championship knockout stage for the second straight tournament after defeat by Austria, who booked their place in the quarter-finals as Group A runners-up.

Martin Sjogren's team - thumped 8-0 by England on Monday - knew only victory would be enough to secure second place in the group behind the Lionesses.

However, Austria dominated the first half and took a deserved lead when Nicole Billa headed Verena Hanshaw's delivery into the far corner.

Barbara Dunst and Billa shot straight at Norway goalkeeper Guro Pettersen midway through the second half as Austria continued to create the better openings.

Celin Ildhusoy struck the crossbar and Ada Hegerberg was denied by Austria goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger in the closing stages, but it was too little, too late from Norway.

"We had higher belief in ourselves than to be out of the tournament this soon," Sjogren said. "I feel totally empty."

Austria, semi-finalists in 2017, will face Group B winners Germany in the last eight.

Hosts England continued their perfect start to the tournament with a 5-0 victory over Northern Ireland in Friday's other Group A game.

Hegerberg and Co bow out with a whimper

Thanks in part to a star-studded attack featuring the likes of Hegerberg, Caroline Hansen and Guro Reiten, 2013 finalists Norway were many people's dark horses to advance to the latter stages of this tournament.

Hegerberg's return to the international fold earlier this year after a self-imposed five-year exile was met with huge excitement domestically and internationally, but the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner and her team-mates exit the competition in bitterly disappointing fashion after another lifeless performance at the Amex Stadium.

Putting Monday's astonishing defeat to the back of their minds was never going to be easy and Sjogren's team made a nervy start on the south coast, almost giving away an early penalty when Billa went to ground under the challenge of Guro Bergsvand and Julie Blakstad - but referee Kateryna Monzul waved play on and the video assistant referee opted not to intervene.

Pettersen fumbled Laura Feiersinger's powerful effort onto the crossbar moments later as Austria, sensing their opponents' vulnerability, began to increase the pressure.

Pettersen redeemed herself for her earlier lapse in concentration with a fine one-handed save from Billa, but she was unable to stop the striker's well-placed header from nestling in the bottom corner eight minutes before half-time.

Irene Fuhrmann's Austria had chances to double their advantage in the second half but Pettersen was equal to low, powerful efforts from Dunst, Billa and Feiersinger, before deflecting Lisa Makas' close-range effort agonisingly past the near post.

Norway committed bodies forward in the latter stages and registered their first shot on target in the final minute of normal time, Zinsberger parrying Ildhusoy's shot onto the crossbar.

Hegerberg almost snatched a late equaliser in added time, but another fine Zinsberger save sealed Norway's fate.

Nicole Billa's superb header secured Austria's place in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals at Norway's expense

'Everyone has a responsibility in this'

"I'm very disappointed on behalf of the team, for all the fans who took the trip to come here and support us, everyone who's been following us at home," Hegerberg said afterwards.

"Everyone has a responsibility in this, myself included. There has to be a brutal honesty in evaluating everything that's happened in the last few weeks in order to actually bounce back.

"We will have to find the answers and we'll have to work on it right away."