Points at a premium for Norway and Iceland

Having both experienced opening-day defeats, Group B rivals Iceland and Norway come together in Lahti knowing another loss now could spell an early end to their tournament bids.

• Iceland managed to repeat their feat in qualifying of scoring against France in Tampere on Monday, but after Hólmfrídur Magnúsdóttir had put them ahead with just six minutes gone, Les Bleues fought back to claim a 3-1 victory. Camille Abily equalised from the spot on 18 minutes and Sonia Bompastor scored in similar fashion eight minutes after the interval, before a solo Louisa Nécib effort in the 67th minute sealed the result.

• Top scorer in qualifying, Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir had a penalty saved by Sarah Bouhhadi as Iceland attempted to claim a positive result in their first ever match – either in men's or women's football – at a senior international tournament.

• Earlier that day, Norway suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to Germany at the same venue, though in the final minute of the game only Linda Bresonik's first-half penalty separated the sides. A late double from Fatmire Bajramaj, either side of a deflected effort from fellow substitute Anja Mittag, compounded a miserable evening for the competition's second most successful team.

• With head-to-head results serving as the first tie-breaker in the group stage, those results mean that defeat for Iceland, combined with a victory for Germany against France in Tampere, would ensure the debutants finish fourth in the section. Likewise, a loss for Norway, combined with a French triumph, would leave Bjarne Berntsen's charges unable to climb off bottom spot.

• Norway won the second UEFA Competition for National Representative Women Teams in 1987 and the second UEFA European Women's Championship six years later. In 1995 they beat Germany 2-0 in Stockholm to win the FIFA Women's World Cup, the first European side to lift the trophy.

• Iceland have qualified for their first finals, having missed out on the 2005 edition in a two-legged play-off with eventual runners-up Norway. In the first leg, played on 10 November 2004 indoors in Reykjavik, Norway led 4-0 at half-time and went on to win 7-2 with a hat-trick from Solveig Gulbrandsen and two more goals from the unrelated Ragnhild Gulbrandsen. Dagny Mellgren was also on target and although Katrin Jónsdóttir and Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir reduced arrears late on, Erla Hendriksdóttir deflected in an added-time own goal.

• The lineups were:
Iceland: Thóra Helgadóttir, Ásta Árnadóttir, Andrea Olga Færseth, Edda Gardarsdóttir (Nina Ósk Kristinsdóttir), Katrín Jónsdóttir, Laufey Ólafsdóttir, Hólmfrídur Magnúsdóttir (Dóra María Lárusdóttir), Erla Hendriksdóttir, Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir, Iris Andresdóttir (Erla Steina Amardóttir), Gudlaug Jónsdóttir.
Norway: Bente Nordby, Gunhild Følstad, Ane Stangeland, Marit Fiane Christensen, Elisabeth Fagereng (Ann Iren Morkued), Ingvild Stensland, Trine Rønning (Siv Skard), Solveig Gulbrandsen, Unni Lehn (Kristine Rand Edner), Dagny Mellgren, Ragnhild Gulbrandsen.

• Three days later, in what was Norway coach Åge Steen's last game in charge before giving way to Berntsen, his side won 2-1 in Oslo's indoor Vallhall arena to warp up a 9-3 aggregate success. Mellgren scored twice either side of a Nina Kristinsdóttir effort.

• The lineups were:
Norway: Ingrid Hjelmseth, Gunhild Følstad, Ane Stangeland, Marit Fiane Christensen, Elisabeth Fagereng, Ingvild Stensland, Trine Rønning (Siv Skard), Solveig Gulbrandsen (Tonje Hansen), Unni Lehn (Kristine Rand Edner), Dagny Mellgren, Ragnhild Gulbrandsen.
Iceland: Thóra Helgadóttir, Ásta Árnadóttir, Andrea Olga Færseth (Hólmfrídur Magnúsdóttir), Edda Gardarsdóttir, Erla Steina Amardóttir, Katrín Jónsdóttir, Laufey Ólafsdóttir, (Málfrídur Erna Sigurdardóttir), Erla Hendriksdóttir, Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir (Nina Ósk Kristinsdóttir), Dóra María Lárusdóttir, Gudlaug Jónsdóttir.

• Iceland gained revenge on 4 March this year in the Algarve Cup, beating Norway 3-1.

• Norway and Iceland also met in their first ever fixture in European competition, the second match in the competition's history. The teams drew 2-2 in Tonsberg on 18 August 1982 and the following July visitors Norway won 1-0 in Kopavogur, though it was Sweden who were to go through.

• In these nations' only other meeting, Norway beat Iceland 6-0 in an Algarve Cup fixture in Olhao, Portugal in March 1997. Norway were to successfully defend the title, the second of a run of three straight victories in the competition.