Austria moved level on points with Norway at the top of UEFA Nations League Group B3 thanks to a convincing 5-1 win in Linz - only their second win in the last seven meetings between the two sides.

In the continuing absence of Martin Odegaard, Norway's talisman Erling Haaland wore the captain's armband and he put his side ahead inside six minutes.

While Haaland was denied by the post, his opposite number Marko Arnautovic made the most of it moments later as the hosts drew first blood.

The Inter Milan striker drifted past Andreas Hanche-Olsen and unleashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar, leaving Orjan Nyland with no chance.

There were chances at both ends after the opening goal, with Alexander Sorloth and Haaland shooting wide for Norway before Christoph Baumgartner was denied by Nyland.

That save proved crucial as the visitors found the equaliser they deserved for their first-half performance just six minutes before the break.

It came in controversial fashion from a set-piece, with the Austrians furious at what they perceived to be a foul as the free-kick floated in. Their protests fell on deaf ears as Sorloth pounced on Julian Ryerson's delivery to head home.

Ralf Rangnick's men responded after the break, showing more spark than the floodlights, which temporarily failed and plunged the stadium into darkness.

The hosts didn't let the disruption slow their momentum and won a penalty within three minutes of the restart.

Hanche-Olsen brought down Baumgartner in despair after a neat move had torn open the Norwegian defence, and Arnautovic stepped up confidently to fire a low spot-kick into the bottom corner beyond the reach of Nyland.

That was the cue for Austria to go on a scoring spree and they doubled their lead just before the hour mark when Romano Schmid's outswinging corner was met by a towering header from Philipp Lienhart, his second goal in as many games during this international break.

A fourth came just four minutes later when Stefan Posch headed home Marcel Sabitzer's cross.

Stale Solbakken's men had no answer for the hosts, who added a fifth when Sabitzer produced a carbon copy of his assist for the fourth, this time converted by Michael Gregoritsch minutes after coming off the bench.

It was the second win in a row for Rangnick's men, who had previously gone seven matches unbeaten in the Nations League, while Norway suffered their first defeat in five games without captain and creative force Odegaard.