Norway v Italy background
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Article summary
Italy have had the better of their past meetings with Norway, but as the sides meet for the 14th time in UEFA EURO 2016 Group H, expect a close encounter.
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Norway and Italy meet for the 14th time in UEFA EURO 2016 Group H, with past meetings suggesting that this should be a close encounter.
Match background
• Italy's record in 13 games against Norway is W6 D4 L3 (W2 D2 L1 in Italy; W1 D2 L2 in Oslo). The sides also met on neutral territory at the 1938, 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup, Italy winning all three matches by single-goal margins.
• Since Italy beat Norway 3-1 in Oslo in a friendly on 27 May 1937 – the nations' first encounter and Italy's only away win to date – there has never been a margin of more than a goal between the sides.
• In their most recent pairings, in 2006 World Cup qualifying, Marcello Lippi's Italy beat Åge Hareide's Norway 2-1 in Palermo on 4 September 2004, Luca Toni's 80th-minute strike winning the game after John Carew (1) and Daniele De Rossi (4) swapped early goals. Gianluigi Buffon put in a commanding performance as Italy earned a 0-0 draw in the Oslo return on 4 June 2005.
• The sides' only previous UEFA European Championship meetings came in qualifying for the 1992 finals. Tore André Dahlum (4) and Lars Bohinen (25) set Egil Olsen's Norway on the path to a 2-1 home win in their first encounter on 5 June 1991, Salvatore Schillachi (77) pulling one back before fellow substitute Giuseppe Bergomi was sent off for Azeglio Vicini's Italy.
• The sides reconvened in Genoa on 13 November that year. Jahn Ivar Jakobsen (60) put Norway ahead, but – in their first game under Arrigo Sacchi – Italy salvaged a 1-1 draw, substitute Ruggiero Rizzitelli (83) striking back.
• Italian clubs' record in 27 UEFA competition games against Norwegian sides' reads W19 D5 L3 (W11 D0 L2 at home – W8 D5 L1 in Norway).
• Italy and Norway have met in ten UEFA youth and age-group tournaments with Italy boasting the record W6 D1 L3. Most recently, they drew 1-1 at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Israel on 11 June 2013. Stefan Strandberg converted from the spot in the 90th minute for Norway, but fellow substitute Andrea Bertolacci equalised deep into added time.
