The former Aston Villa striker, now at Real Zaragoza, flicked home Ljubinko Drulovic's free-kick from close range in the eighth minute to secure the three points - and in the process became joint top- scorer of Euro 2000 with his third goal of the tournament in Liege.

Chelsea's Tore Andre Flo came close to a 12th-minute equaliser but the ball was tipped away at full stretch by Yugoslavia keeper Ivica Kralj. The goal moved Milosevic level with Slovenia's Zlatko Zahovic, who scored his third in the 2-1 defeat by Spain.

Milosevic had a chance to put Yugoslavia two goals ahead minutes later but was denied by Norway defender Bjorn Otto Bragstad, who made a superb last- ditch tackle.

Yugoslavia's Slavisa Jokanovic was cautioned by Scottish referee Hugh Dallas for an ugly challenge on Norway's Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but, on the half-hour, Solskjaer's claims for a penalty were turned down by Dallas, with the Norwegian insisting he had been held back in the area.

On the stroke of half-time skipper Dragan Stojkovic wasted an excellent chance to settle the match.

Yugoslavia broke down the left and Stojkovic was clear on the right of the Norway box when he received the ball, but instead of shooting he tried to chip a pass to Milosevic and sliced wide.

Vladimir Jugovic was the first to threaten in the second half, when his crisp shot from 20 yards was saved by Thomas Myhre in the Norway goal. A yard either side of the Everton keeper and the match would have been over - but Norway's lucky escape served as a warning to them to tighten up their marking.

Stojkovic's brilliant pass then picked out Predrag Mijatovic, but the striker's shot from a bad angle failed to trouble Myhre.

Norway were not without their own attacking ideas, however, and Flo stole in to plant a header that appeared to being heading goalwards until it struck team-mate Bakke and deflected over.

With two minutes left of normal time Dallas sent off substitute Mateja Kezman for a foul on Mykland, just a minute after he had come on.

The Norwegians sought to make their numerical superiority tell in the closing minutes, but in injury time, Solskjaer's ball over the top to was wasted by substitute John Carew, and their chance had gone.

NORWAY: Myhre, Berg, Bragstad, Myk-land, Flo, Skammelsrud, Heggem, Eggen, Iversen, E. Bakke, Solskjaer. Subs: Olsen, M. Bakke, Andersen, Strand, Solbakken, Rekdal, Riise, Carew, Riseth, Bjornebye, Bergdolmo.