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Norway need Iceland repeat

Norway have the edge over Iceland from 2013 qualifying, the 2009 final tournament and 2005 play-offs as they face off again in Kalmar to open Group B.

Solveig Gulbrandsen (left) came out of retirement to help Norway beat Iceland last September
Solveig Gulbrandsen (left) came out of retirement to help Norway beat Iceland last September ©Getty Images

Norway and Iceland are familiar opponents, both from UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualifying and the 2009 finals.

Head-to-head record
• These nations have met ten times with five of those meetings in the last four years. Overall Norway lead 7-2 in wins, with one draw, and 26-14 in goals.

• They played in two of the first European qualifiers for the inaugural 1984 finals. Norway were held 2-2 at home on 28 August 1982 – still their only draw against Iceland – and won 1-0 away the following July.

• That was it until the 1997 Algarve Cup, when a Norway team at the peak of their powers triumphed 6-0.

• There have been two subsequent Algarve Cup meetings, Iceland winning 3-1 in 2009 and Norway prevailing 3-2 the next year.

• In 2005 they were drawn together in the Women's EURO play-offs. Eventual runners-up Norway won 7-2 in a first leg played indoors in Reykjavik and 2-1 at home.

• Iceland made their finals debut in 2009 and lost 1-0 in their second group game against Norway to end their hopes. Cecilie Pedersen got the only goal in Lahti on 54 minutes, the 18-year-old's first start eight days after her senior debut.

Selected previous meetings
17 September 2011: Iceland 3-1 Norway (Magnúsdóttir 8 32, M Vidarsdóttir 15; Stensland 70) – Laugardalsvöllur, Reyjkavik, UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualifying
Iceland: Helgadóttir, Atladóttir, Ó Vidarsdóttir, Fridriksdóttir (Brynjarsdóttir 75), Gisladóttir, Magnúsdóttir, Gunnarsdóttir, K Jónsdóttir, M Vidarsdóttir, Lárusdóttir (Ódinsdóttir 80), Ómarsdóttir (Olafsdóttir 63).
Norway: Hjelmseth, Akerhaugen, Mjelde, Stensland, Woods (Andersen 37, Isaksen 72), Rønning, Herlovsen, Haavi (Isaeksen 75), Garsjord, Thorsnes, Mykjåland.

19 September 2012: Norway 2-1 Iceland (Mjelde 39, Thornes 42; M Vidarsdóttir 66) – Ullevaal, Oslo, UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualifying
Norway: Hjelmseth, Lund, Christensen, Knudsen, Akerhaugen, Mjelde, Gulbrandsen, Herlovsen, Isaeksen (Hansen 67), Thorsnes (Holstad 77), Knutsen.
Iceland: Helgadóttir, Atladóttir, Hönnudóttir (Lárusdóttir 56), Gardarsdóttir (Thorsteinsdóttir 71), Magnúsdóttir, Gísladóttir, Gunnarsdóttir, K Jónsdóttir, M Vidarsdóttir, Fridriksdóttir (Brynjarsdóttir 84), Ómarsdóttir.

• These teams were drawn in the same qualifying group and Norway made a nightmare start with their 3-1 loss in Reykjavik. They went on to lose in Northern Ireland but thanks to Iceland dropping five points against Belgium, their last match in Oslo was to prove decisive. A point behind, Norway needed to win and duly did, aided by a first competitive start since 2010 for Solveig Gulbrandsen after reverseing her decision to retire.

• The nations have met twice in the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship final tournament, both in the group stage. In 2007 hosts Iceland, in their first ever youth finals fixture, lost 5-0 to Norway. Maren Mjelde scored twice and Ingvild Isaksen and Elise Thorsnes were also on target for a side containing Martina Lund against an Iceland team including Rakel Hönnudóttir, Gudný Björk Ódinsdóttir, Fanndís Fridriksdóttir and Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir.

• Two years later it was 0-0 in Belarus. Fridriksdóttir was joined by Dagný Brynjarsdóttir in the Iceland team while Pedersen linked up with Hege Hansen.

Form guide
• Norway lost two of their first four qualifiers in Iceland and Northern Ireland but won all six fixtures in 2012 to top their section and maintain a perfect qualifying record since their 1987 triumph – only in 1997 did they not make the last four.

• However coach Eli Landsem's contract was not renewed at the end of 2012, meaning a return for 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup–winning manager Even Pellerud from Trinidad and Tobago. Pellerud was also in charge for Norway's second Women's EURO victory in 1993.

• Iceland qualified for their first major tournament in reaching UEFA Women's EURO 2009 but failed to secure a point. This time, having been pipped in their qualifying group by Norway, they overcame Ukraine in the play-offs.

Team ties
• The last competitive meeting between clubs from these nations was in the 2005/06 UEFA Women's Cup first qualifying round when Valur Reykjavík defeated Røa Fotball Elite 4-1 in Finland, though both progressed. Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir scored twice with further goals by Dóra Maria Lárusdóttir and Ódinsdóttir for Valur, whose team also contained Gudbjörg Gunnarsdóttir. Røa included Marit Fiane Christensten.

• In the inaugural 2001/02 edition, SK Trondheims-Ørn defeated KR Reykjavík 9-0 in a group game. The Trondheims-Ørn lineup included Ingrid Hjelmseth and Trine Rønning while Hólmfrídur Magnúsdóttir was in the KR team.

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