Norway pair set sights on grand finale

Norway surged into the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship semi-finals with a 5-0 victory over Scotland on Monday. As they took stock of that and began looking ahead to Thursday's meeting with Spain, UEFA.com sat down with captain Vilde Bøe Risa and forward Synne Jensen.

UEFA.com: How was it waking up this morning with victory fresh in the mind and knowing you're through to the semi-finals?

Vilde Bøe Risa: Incredibly nice and very reassuring. We have shown that we have confidence and a very good team. Even if we are meeting Spain – who seem a good team though we don't know too much about them – it is reassuring to have two wins and a draw behind us.

Synne Jensen: I woke up with a smile on my face – it's a great feeling.

UEFA.com: What is your take on the 5-0 win against Scotland?

Bøe Risa: We controlled the entire match. We got an early goal, controlled things, passed the ball and kept them at a distance.

Jensen: The pace dropped a notch in second half, with Scotland running in between our lines, but we managed to keep possession. We did well.

UEFA.com: Do you think you can play a similar style of game against Spain?

Jensen: We [the current squad] have never played Spain before so that will be exciting. I don't know precisely how they play, but we will have a closer look at them. We just need to be on our game and focused, then we'll see how it plays out.

Jensen and Bøe Risa talk to UEFA.com©Sportsfile

Bøe Risa: I think we will beat them.

UEFA.com: Are you able to focus solely on the semi-final or is a potential final at Ullevaal at the back of your minds?

Bøe Risa: We are probably thinking about it – that is our dream after all. We want to get there as it would be fantastic. It's on our minds, but we have eyes only for the next match.

Jensen: It's very important to only focus on the next match, and we can't think of the consequences – only what we have to do on the pitch.

UEFA.com: What has it been like, a home final tournament?

Bøe Risa: A lot of fun. There have been decent crowds, including people we know, which makes it enjoyable. There has been a great atmosphere at our matches.

Bøe Risa and Jensen in Lillestrom©Sportsfile

UEFA.com: How do you relax and disconnect between matches and training?

Bøe-Risa: Today we went sunbathing and later we'll go out for pizza and a good time. Otherwise, we just take it easy, rest well and go for the occasional walk into Lillestrom.

Jensen: Some of us play a bit of table-tennis and other stuff to avoid spending too much time resting in bed.

UEFA.com: What are the highlights on and off the pitch for you so far?

Bøe Risa: The match against Belgium was a lot of fun. It was a physical game and it was very important for us to win. We fought so hard and it was an incredible feeling winning that game. That was my highlight.

Jensen: The match against Scotland, as it was a 5-0 win, and I enjoy matches where we have full control. That was a lot of fun.

Norway v Spain takes place on Thursday at Jessheim's UKI Arena from 18.00CET. It will be broadcast live on Eurosport and tickets are 50kr each, with under-18s getting in for free.