Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's international friendly between England and Norway at Wembley. Both sides will be looking to start a new two-year cycle tonight as they set their sights on qualifying for the 2016 European Championships in France, and there are a number of new faces who will be particularly keen to please. Let's start with a look at England...

Roy Hodgson's side will be appearing for the first time since the World Cup tonight, and plenty of question marks remain over the squad following their poor showing in Brazil. It was always going to be tough getting out of a group that also included Italy, Uruguay and surprise packages Costa Rica, but England's performances on the whole left a lot to be desired.

The Three Lions left Brazil with just one point to their name, with that coming in the final match as they played out a goalless draw with Costa Rica in what was effectively a dead rubber. In fairness, they were not a million miles away from getting results against both Italy and Uruguay, but they showed a level of naivety and a lack of cutting edge in the final third that will worry Hodgson. It was a young squad, however, and he will be keen to use that as a learning experience.

Youth is very much a theme of the England set-up now, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere breaking into the first team. With Ross Barkley and a few others currently out injured, the future does look bright for the Three Lions, but they will need to adapt to international level quickly.

One potential problem for the younger lot coming through is that they are running out of real experience to guide them at this level. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard both ended their international careers in the aftermath of the World Cup, while Ashley Cole retired before Brazil having been left out of the squad. Each of those players had more than 100 caps for their country, so that is a lot of experience lost in a short space of time. In the current squad, only Wayne Rooney has more than 50 caps, while five of tonight's starting XI are aged 22 or younger.

It is that young squad that has been charged with putting an end to England's poor form of late. Including the World Cup and their warm-up matches for Brazil, Roy Hodgson side are now without a win in their last five outings - their worst run since 2006-07. Incidentally, they haven't failed to win six matches in a row since 1993, 21 years ago. They also played Norway during that streak, losing 2-0.

Those World Cup warm-up draws against Ecuador and Honduras rather set the tone for for the tournament itself, with England failing to impress. They have struggled to capture the imagination during friendlies in the recent past, but they have won their last two at Wembley, beating Denmark 1-0 in March and Peru 3-0 earlier this summer. That gives them a 100% record without conceding a goal at home in 2014, but they were beaten by both Chile and Germany here in November of last year.

Roy Hodgson will be looking to banish the memories of the World Cup tonight, though, as he sets his sights on France 2016 - a tournament that they should have very little trouble qualifying for. Despite now being ranked 20th in the world, the Three Lions will still see theirs as a kind draw, with Switzerland the biggest test they will face. Making up the group is Estonia, Lithuania, San Marino and Slovenia, all of whom England should be confident of beating with ease.

Norway will testify that Slovenia are a tough team to beat, however, having finished behind them in their World Cup qualifying group. Per Hogen's side didn't make it to Brazil following a disappointing campaign that saw them finish fourth in qualifying group E, behind Switzerland, Iceland and Slovenia. They were a full 12 points behind the Swiss too, so failure for England to win tonight could worry Hodgson going into Monday's away match in Basel.

Norway have also gone five matches without a victory and, like England, have drawn three and lost two in that spell. Their results have come against lesser opposition, however, with a goalless draw against UAE their last outing. They have also been well beaten by both Poland and France in that run, but have recorded respectable draws against Czech Republic and Fabio Capello's Russia.

Norway's streak without such a winless streak doesn't stretch back as far as England's, but it has still been six years since they went six games without tasting success. That came in 2008 - a terrible year for the nation as they failed to win a single one of their eight outings. They have won once in 2014 already, but on the whole so far this year they have not impressed.

Form away from home has been an issue for Norway, which doesn't bode well for them going into what is usually such a stronghold for England. Their last away victory came in January against Moldova, but that is their only win on the road in their last eight outings. Their last away match saw them hammered 4-0 by France, who went on to impress at the World Cup.

These are certainly not among Norway's glory days, then, but they do have realistic hopes of qualifying for the European Championships in France. A new format means that two teams will automatically qualify, with a third going into a playoff. They have been partnered with Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy and Malta in their qualifying group, and could well be eyeing third place behind Croatia and Italy.

Bulgaria will have something to say about that, and it could well be close between those two teams if everything goes as expected in that group. You'd have to assume that Italy and Croatia would occupy the top two spots - although it will be an interesting battle to see in which order - but Per Hogen will be telling his players that they have a real shot of making the playoffs and reaching France 2016.

Should they manage that, it would be their first major tournament since Euro 2000, when they beat Spain before losing to Yugoslavia and drawing with Slovenia to exit at the group stages. They aren't exactly a side blessed with experience, however, with Morten Gamst Pedersen by far their most senior member. He is the only player to have made over 50 international appearances and is also the current top scorer in the squad.

TEAM NEWS: Roy Hodgson named his England starting XI yesterday, with Rooney and Sturridge starting up front together and Sterling in behind. There is also a first start for John Stones in defence. Norway, meanwhile, make no fewer than nine changes to the team that drew with UAE last time out. Full team news for both sides coming right up...

ENGLAND STARTING XI: Hart; Jones, Baines, Cahill, Stones; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wilshere, Sterling; Rooney, Sturridge

NORWAY STARTING XI: Nyland, Johansen, King, Nordtveit, El Younoussi, Skjelbred, Elabdellaoui, Linnes, Yttergard Jensen, Moller Delhi, Forren

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, as I mentioned earlier it is a youthful England side, but the vast majority of the players have still be around for a while now and are growing in experience at this level. It will be interesting to see whether the absence of Gerrard or Lampard makes a difference, simply because they have been lynchpins of the side for so long, but Hodgson's midfield quartet tonight is a young and exciting one.

It is a strong lineup on the whole from Hodgson, probably the best he could have chosen given the players available to him. England are expected to see a lot of the ball today, so the likes of Rooney and Sturridge up front should have plenty of chances to show what they can do. The former has recently been named captain following Gerrard's departure, and he will look to lead by example. Rooney hasn't enjoyed the best start to the season at club level, however, so it will be interesting to see if his confidence is affected going into this one.

Of course, Rooney is edging ever closer to England's record goalscorer title. He is now just nine behind Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 49, and is now by far the most experienced member of Roy Hodgson's squad. The youngsters coming through will be looking up to him more than anyone else now, and he should be able to impart wisdom from his 95 caps. The next most-capped player in the squad is James Milner, who has made 43 appearances for his country, while the next highest scorer is Welbeck with just eight.

One player still looking to open his England account is Raheem Sterling, and he will want to carry his good early-season form with Liverpool into tonight's match. He has already scored twice in the Premier League, and this Norway defence won't have come against a player with his pace too often, so he could be a real danger tonight. If he can replicate his club form at international level, then Sterling will be right at the forefront of England's team for the foreseeable future.

The rest of the midfield is interesting, with Wilshere largely being tipped to be the man to fill Gerrard's spot in the side. Henderson is still a young man himself but is now the most senior member of that quartet, and he has a key part to play in ensuring that they all work as a unit. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sterling can both be very exciting players, but often it is in the middle of the park where matches are won and lost. Henderson and Wilshere is an unproven partnership but is likely to be England's first choice for a while, so they will be looking to get to know each other quickly.

Stones is included at the back despite not having been a first choice at Everton this season, and he is another player who is flying the flag for the new boys coming in. Cahill is an ideal partner for the youngster in defence, which is an area of England's team that has been criticised recently. Baines is one of those who came in for a bit of stick following his World Cup performances, so he could well have a point to prove tonight.

As for Norway, there is no room in the team for Morten Gamst Pedersen who, like Rooney for England, is his country's most experienced player by some distance. He has 81 caps and 17 goals for Norway, both of which are the highest amongst the current squad. There is a place for defender Vegard Forren, however, and he had some interesting words to say about Rooney in his pre-match press conference, saying that the United and England skipper looked a bit "chubby".

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Wembley tonight, so it's time I made a prediction! England friendlies are often tough ones to call as you rarely know which side is going to turn up. In truth, it is usually dull, but England could easily win this match comfortably or labour to a goalless draw. I'm going to go for the former option, however, with a number of young players eager to prove themselves. I'll go for 2-0 to the Three Lions.

It is fair to say that England have not exactly captured the nation's imagination in recent friendlies. They rarely play exciting football in these types of matches, instead grinding out results when there shouldn't be any pressure on their shoulders. As a result, this match is expected to draw the lowest ever crowd for an international game at the new Wembley, with between 35,000 and 40,000 tickets sold.

This is Norway's first trip to London to take on England for 20 years, last playing at the old Wembley in May 1994. That encounter ended in a goalless draw, so hopefully we won't be seeing a repeat of that tonight. Both sets of players should play with freedom given that this is a friendly, but that rarely proves to be the case in truth.

The last meeting between these two sides came in the build-up to Euro 2012, with England edged a 1-0 victory courtesy of an Ashley Young strike. Overall, these two have met 11 times, with England winning six and losing just two. Norway haven't won since 1993 - the last time England went six matches without a win - while their only previous win before that was in 1981.

There are a couple of other international matches going on tonight, including a repeat of the World Cup final as Argentina take on Germany. I will bring you major events from that game and Republic of Ireland vs. Oman, while you can also follow live coverage of both matches by clicking on the relevant games to the right of your screen.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! We're underway at Wembley as these two sides look to take a winning start into their respective European Championship qualifying groups.

It was intriguing to see how England would line up this evening, with a possibility of a diamond formation being mooted with Sterling at the tip. However, the Liverpool man has started on the left flank, with Oxlade-Chamberlain is on the right.

Early sight of goal for England as Sturridge picks up the ball on the edge of the box, only to see his shot blocked. Rooney takes over possession, however, before winning a free kick in a very dangerous position.

Rooney and Baines are standing over the kick, and it is the latter who curls a hugely disappointing effort over the bar. He is usually much better from that range, so that should go down as a decent chance missed.

Decent defending from Cahill as he mops up behind Stones, who had just been caught out by a through-ball. Norway are posing very little attacking threat in these early stages as they look to ease their way into the match.

A first dangerous attack from Norway sees Elyounoussi nod the ball down inside the area, but there are no red shirts to latch onto it. England break down the other end, but Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross is behind Rooney, who can't take it down.

UPDATE: Early goals for both Ireland and Argentina elsewhere. Kevin Doyle has given Martin O'Neill's side the lead against Oman, while Sergio Aguero has opened the scoring for Argentina in their World Cup final re-run against Germany.

Early problem here for Nordtveit, who was just caught by a stray elbow from Rooney. There was no intent on Rooney's part, but Nordtveit did take a knock and now has blood streaming from his nose. The England skipper gets a little talking to from the ref, but there was no malice involved.

The hosts have kept the ball quite well in the early stages of this match and they are dictating the tempo of the game at the moment. They have advanced into a number of promising positions, but are yet to create anything in the final third.

CHANCE! Wonderful football from England as two Liverpool layers link up to create the first chance of the night. Sturridge twists and turns past his man on the right before slipping a pass through for Sterling, who back-heels it back into the path of his club teammate. It is lovely build-up, but the finish is a little disappointing as Sturridge's effort is blocked.

CHANCE! Another decent chance, and this time it is two Arsenal players who create it. Oxlade-Chamberlain cuts inside and gives the ball to Wilshere, who clips a pass over the top for the winger to collect. It is a good pass and Oxlade-Chamberlain takes it down well, but Linnes gets an important foot in to turn it behind.

SHOT! From the resulting corner, Jones rises almost unchallenged to reach the ball and steer a header goalwards. However, he can't get it on target, sending a looping effort a couple of yards wide.

This is a decent spell for the hosts, who have just started to move up a few gears and are looking a lot more threatening in the final third. The finishing has been lacking so far, but if they carry on like this then it should just be a matter of time before they break the deadlock.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been heavily involved in this opening 20 minutes. He has drifted inside on a few occasions and also taken his man on down the wing, which is keeping Norway guessing. However, his final ball has been pretty poor so far.

Norway make a rare foray forward and send a speculative effort from range towards the bottom corner, but it is easy for Hart to save.

Nice football from England as they attack down the left flank, with Wilshere lifting the ball out for Baines who, in turn, finds Sturridge. The Liverpool man tries a snapshot from a tight angle, but his effort is once again blocked by a defender.

CHANCE! The best chance of the match falls the way of the hosts, and it is again as a result of Sterling and Sturridge linking up. The former plays a lovely ball over the top for his club teammate, whose first touch just takes him a little too close to the keeper. Sturridge still manages to lift the ball over Nyland, but his effort drops onto the roof of the net. Tough one to finish there, but the clearest opening of the game so far.

England are in complete control of this match at the moment. They are controlling possession and not allowing Norway out of their own half. England are camped in the opposition half and it looks like being a case of finding a way to break them down. Norway aren't creating anything of their own in an attacking sense.

Slight worry for both England and Everton as Elyounoussi slides in on Baines, just catching the left-back. He is not one to go down easily, but he looks to be in a bit of pain. There is no doubt that he will be alright to continue, though.

CHANCE! Baines is back moving freely and threatening the Norway defence. Sterling slides a cute pass inside for his under-lapping full-back, whose low cross/shot is deflected behind for a corner.

Norway make a rare trip into the England half and conjure up a dangerous cross, with Linnes putting the ball into a very good area. Baines is back there to make a very good clearance under pressure, though.

UPDATE: It will come as scant consolation for Argentina, but they are now 2-0 up against Germany in that repeat of the World Cup final. It is another English-based player that has done the damage, with Erik Lamela joining Aguero on the scoresheet.

Stones hasn't really been getting forward too much tonight, certainly not as much as Baines on the opposite flank. He does advance this time, however, and his drilled cross is just too high for Sturridge at the back post.

NORWAY SUB: Norway are forced into an early change here as Per Egil Flo comes on to replace Linnes, who has picked up an injury.

It has been the same old story for England so far. They have dominated possession, as they often do in friendlies against lesser teams, but have not used the ball as well as they should have. They have carved out a couple of openings, but Nyland still hasn't been tested tonight.

Better from Norway as King cuts inside from the left before sliding a ball through for Daehli. However, Baines has tracked his man all the way and is able to shepherd the ball back to Hart.

PENALTY SHOUT! Big penalty shout from the hosts as Wilshere bursts into the box before going down under the challenge of Nordtveit. The referee is having none of it, and there weren't many complaints from the England players either. Judging by the reaction of Wilshere, I'd say the ref got that one right.

Nordtveit certainly committed to the challenge and was nowhere near the ball, but Wilshere was already on his way down when he was caught. It was a careless and clumsy challenge from the Norway defender, but the ref was right to wave the claims away. Had Wilshere not thrown himself to the floor, he probably would have been taken down anyway.

More nice link-up play between Sterling and Sturridge just inside the Norway box, but the former just doesn't have space to shoot when the ball comes back to him as Norway get it clear. Those two have looked most likely for the hosts tonight.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

So, we go into the interval goalless, which isn't a huge surprise it must be said. It has not been the most inspiring 45 minutes of football I have ever seen, with the game going the same way of almost every England friendly. The Three Lions have bossed possession and controlled the game overall without having anything to show for it thus far.

England have created a few decent openings from all of their possession, with the best of the lot falling to Daniel Sturridge. The England striker latched on to a ball over the top from his Liverpool teammate Raheem Sterling, taking it down before lifting a lob over the keeper and onto the roof of the net.

Sturridge and Sterling have been England's brightest players so far, linking up nicely to create some good openings. Norway have managed to get a man in the way on every occasion, however, keeping England at bay and goalkeeper Nyland relatively safe. The visitors have defended admirably on the whole, although that hasn't exactly helped the match as a spectacle.

In terms of attacking, Norway have offered very little. They have rarely ventured out of their own half, and Hart has had a very comfortable evening so far. In truth, they aren't the best opposition and are more intent on getting men behind the ball than they are winning this one, which is making it tough for England to find a way through. Even so, Roy Hodgson's side should be capable of making the breakthrough.

UPDATE: Moving away from Wembley for a moment, there is quite a game developing between Germany and Argentina. Three goals in the early stages of the first half have seen the Argentines move into a 4-1 lead in what is a repeat of the 2014 World Cup final.

Scoring four goals is something England can only dream of right now. With all of the possession they have had, it shouldn't be beyond this England side to knock a good few goals past what is a poor Norway side, but they just don't look confident or dangerous in the final third. Rooney has been virtually anonymous, and Sterling and Sturridge are the only two who really look like posing a threat to the Norway defence.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been quite bright on the right wing, but his end product has been lacking so far. He and Wilshere linked up nicely at one point in the half, but the winger was unable to get his shot away. He seems to have the beating of his marker, but hasn't been able to make the most of it so far.

KICKOFF: Norway get us back underway at Wembley for the second half. Will we see a goal in the next 45 minutes, or will Norway be able to hold out once again?

Bright play from Daehli on the right flank early in the second half as he takes his man on before drilling a low ball across the face of goal. Hart is alert and drops on it quickly, but he would have been in trouble if somehow had gambled at the front post there.

It should be noted that neither side have made a change at the break, with Norway's earlier enforced switch the only sub of the match so far. That is an indication that these players are likely to feature in the first matches of the European Championship qualifying campaign.

Norway have a free kick in a good crossing position, and Jenssen's delivery is a good one. It is well defended, however, as an England head flicks it over the top for a corner.

SAVE! From the resulting corner Norway come close to breaking the deadlock as King peels off Stones to flick a header goalwards. Hart reacts really well to get a hand to it, however, pushing it behind for another corner. That's the closest we've come to a goal at either end tonight.

Norway have started this second half the brighter and have already threatened more than they did in the entire first half. Hart has not had anything to do today, so he did really well to react to that header. It was a very good stop from the Man City keeper, who of course made a mistake that ultimately cost his club side the match against Stoke at the weekend.

CHANCE! Another chance for Norway as Cahill sends a terrible back-pass towards Hart that King latches onto. He advances into the box before skipping past Jones and then trying to squeeze the ball back across for Daehli. However, Hart is there again to make the stop, and it is another important one.

Daehli looks like he is in big trouble here. He went in for a tackle on Sterling and his knee seemed to stick in the ground and catch the heel of the England youngster. He is in a lot of pain and the stretcher is called for, so it is unlikely that he will play any further part here.

This doesn't look good for either Norway or Cardiff. Daehli is forced off on the stretcher and, although he is sitting up and no longer grimacing, he doesn't look like he will be back any time soon.

NORWAY SUB: Anders Konradsen is the man who comes on to replace Daehli, who looks like he will certainly miss Tuesday's match against Italy and could well be out for a while longer in terms of domestic action.

King is once again sharp as the ball almost runs through for him, but Hart is off his line to collect. King has threatened a few times since the break and it is still Norway who look most likely to break the deadlock at the moment. England just haven't got going in this second half yet.

Rooney is gifted the ball on the halfway line and he immediately looks to drive forward before slipping a pass to Sturridge. The Liverpool man lines Nordtveit up and squeezes past him, but then goes to ground inside the box under the defender's challenge. Again, the ref is right to wave away the penalty claims.

I can't imagine it will be too much longer before we see a sub for England. They dominated the first half but just haven't got going since the break, and they need someone to come in and inject something different into the team. It is very uninspiring at the moment.

Another stoppage as Sturridge and Forren clash heads. Both look to have hurt themselves in the collision, with Sturridge having a cut attended to on the side of the field and Forren being treated on it. There should be a fair chunk of injury time at the end of this one.

UPDATE: Could a comeback be on in Germany? The World Cup champions have made it 4-2 against Argentina, and it is the hero from the final Mario Gotze who has got his side's second. Republic of Ireland have also got a second, with Pearce doubling their lead against Oman.

Finally, England have the breakthrough! Wayne Rooney, who has been anonymous all game, opens the scoring with his 41st goal for England, hammering it into the corner from the spot. It is a great penalty, giving the keeper no chance. Sterling was the man who won it, skipping past Elabdellaoui, who brought him down.

ENGLAND SUBS: That is Rooney's last action of the match as he goes off in a flurry of changes. He is replaced by Arsenal's Danny Welbeck, while Fabian Delph also comes on for his debut and James Milner is introduced. In addition to Rooney, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wilshere have made way.

NORWAY SUB: The visitors also made a change in the aftermath of that goal, with Mohamed Elyounoussi replacing Skjelbred.

SAVE! Bright play from Welbeck as he collects Sterling's pass before working a yard to shoot. He fires a powerful effort towards the near post, forcing Nyland into his toughest save of the night. Very good effort from the new Arsenal striker.

That triple change for England has resulted in a slight change of formation, with Sterling in a more central role. He is already seeing more of the ball, and that is having an impact on how the team are playing. He is at the centre of a move that sees Welbeck drill a low effort right across the face of goal.

NORWAY SUB: Norway make another change as King goes off to be replaced by Havard Nielsen in a straight swap up front.

SHOT! England are playing with a lot more purpose here. They have upped the tempo and are looking a lot more dangerous as a result. Sturridge and Sterling link up to play the ball back to the edge of the box, where Welbeck leaves it for Henderson, who blasts an effort over.

Welbeck has made a real difference since coming on, with England starting to play with a bit of pace in the final third. Sterling's central role has also helped, with the Liverpool man seeing more of the ball. The diamond formation that the hosts are employing now has already looked more promising than the 4-4-2 beforehand.

ENGLAND SUB: Calum Chambers comes on for his senior international debut, taking the place of Stones at right-back.

NORWAY SUB: The visitors also made another change of their own a little earlier, with Ola Kamara replacing Tarik Elyounoussi.

ENGLAND SUB: The captain's armband changes again as stand-in skipper Gary Cahill makes way to be replaced by Phil Jagielka. Hart is now the captain for this final five minutes or so.

Chelsea fans won't be happy to see Gary Cahill sat on the bench with a large ice pack strapped to his ankle. Hopefully it is just precautionary, but he could well be a doubt for Monday's match against Switzerland now.

NORWAY SUB: Time for some experience for Norway as Morten Gamst Pedersen replaces Jenssen and immediately takes over the captain's armband.

CHANCE! An awful corner from Norway allows England to break, with Sturridge pinging a fine ball forward for Sterling. The youngster races onto it and plays a pass across for Milner, who is in acres of space, but he takes too long over his shot, allowing Johansen to get across and make a very good block.

ENGLAND SUB: Sturridge makes way to be replaced by Liverpool teammate Rickie Lambert in the closing stages.

We've had a few injuries in this second half, and as such the fourth official has indicated a minimum of four minutes added time.

It looks like England will be ending their winless streak, then, but it hasn't been the most convincing performance. They were actually better in the first half than they have been for much of this second half, but Rooney's penalty looks like being enough.

The referee brings an end to proceedings at Wembley, with England running out 1-0 winners over Norway. It wasn't the most thrilling friendly you will see, as is so often the case with England, but they did enough to get a deserved victory, which should set them up nicely for Monday's clash with Switzerland. There is plenty of room for improvement for the hosts, but there were also positives to draw from that performance.

It was Rooney who got the only goal of the match, edging ever closer to Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time record of 49 goals for the Three Lions. Rooney is now on 41, although in truth it was not his best performance today. It was Sterling who won the penalty, and the youngster once again impressed this evening.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's friendly as England end a five-match winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Norway at Wembley. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!