Malta v Norway background
Monday, June 2, 2014
Article summary
Having won all three of their previous home fixtures against Malta without conceding, Norway have high standards to maintain in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group H.
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Article body
Norway welcome Malta in search of a fourth successive home win against their UEFA EURO 2016 Group H rivals.
Match background
• Norway's record in eight matches against Malta is W6 D2 L0 (W3 D0 L0 at home, W3 D2 L0 in Malta). They have never conceded a goal at home against Malta, and have come out on top in all four of their previous competitive matches against the Mediterranean nation.
• Malta have twice held Norway to 1-1 draws – at the old Empire Stadium in Gzira on 5 November 1961 and at National Stadium Ta' Qali on 7 February 1990. However, they are now on a five-match losing streak against Norway.
• The sides' first competitive meetings came in EURO '96 qualifying. On 14 December 1994, Jan Åge Fjørtoft's tenth-minute goal earned Egil Olsen's side a 1-0 win against Pietro Ghedin's Malta. Fjørtoft (42) and Jostein Flo (88) were on target as Norway won the return game in Oslo on 7 June 1995 2-0.
• The sides' most recent encounters were in 2008 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Åge Hareide's Norway beat Dušan Fitzel's Malta 4-0 in Oslo on 2 June 2007 (Kristofer Hæsted 31, Thorstein Helstad 73, Steffen Iversen 79, John Arne Riise 90+1), and 4-1 in Ta'Qali on 11 November the same year (Michael Mifsud 53; Steffen Iversen 25, 27 and 45; Morten Gamst Pedersen 75). Andre Schembri was sent off after 67 minutes.
• Norway have won all six of their matches against Malta in UEFA's youth and men's age-limit tournaments.
• The four matches between Norwegian and Maltese sides in UEFA club competitions have produced three Norwegian wins and a 1-1 draw, Floriana FC holding Stabæk Fotball in a 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup first round game, before winning the return tie 2-0.
