Russia return against Sweden

Sweden have not taken the European women's title since the first tournament in 1984 and begin their bid to put that right against a Russia side who are returning to the top stage having missed out four years ago.

• Sweden had two withdrawals from the squad originally named in late July; defender Linda Sembrant and forward Linda Forsberg both suffered thigh injuries, Karin Lissel and Petra Larsson taking their place.

• Larsson made her senior debut last Wednesday in a 1-0 friendly loss to Norway.

• These teams met for the first time in a May 1997 friendly in Falkoping, Sweden winning 2-0. On 29 June 1997 in Karlstad they then met in the opening game of that year's UEFA European Women's Championship finals, the hosts beating Russia 2-1 and going on to top Group A with maximum points only to exit in the semi-finals to Germany. Russia lost all three fixtures.

• Four years later in Germany the nations were matched again in their final Group A fixture in Erfurt. Sweden held second position in the section at kick-off and confirmed that place thanks to Linda Fagerström's 76th-minute goal in a 1-0 win that kept up their perfect record against Russia.

• Sweden have never failed to be among the last eight of this tournament and have missed out on the semi-finals only twice. They won the first UEFA Competition for National Representative Women Teams in 1984, beating England in a penalty shoot-out in Luton after each side had recorded a 1-0 home win in the two-legged encounter. They lost the 1987 final to Norway and finished third in 1989.

• Sweden were involved in the first match in the history of the original European competition, winning 6-0 away to Finland in Vammala on 18 August 1982.

• In the UEFA European Women's Championship era, they departed in the two-legged 1991 and 1993 quarter-finals but reached the final in 1995 and 2001, losing both games to Germany. The Scandinavian side progressed to the semi-finals in 1997 and 2005. Germany also beat them in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup final, Sweden's best run in the global event.

• Sweden will be hoping to end a winless run in the opening matches of final tournament that runs back to the 1997 UEFA European Women's Championship, when they beat Russia 2-1. Since then they have failed to make a winning start in the 1999 World Cup (L1-2 v China), 2000 Olympics (L0-2 v Brazil), 2001 European Championship (L1-3 v Germany), 2003 World Cup (L1-3 v United States), 2004 Olympics (L0-1 v Japan), 2005 European Championship (D1-1 v Finland), 2007 World Cup (D1-1 v Nigeria) and 2008 Olympics (L1-2 v China).

• Russia's first experience of this competition was as part of the Commonwealth of Independent States team that reached the two-legged 1993 quarter-finals on their sole appearance – a statistic that includes the former Soviet Union – losing 7-0 on aggregate to Germany.

• Russia lost to the same team at the same stage two years later and although they qualified for the new final group stage in 1997 and 2001, departed with three losses in the first and one point in the latter. Last time out Finland eliminated Russia in the play-offs.

• Russia have twice qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup and both times, in 1999 and 2003, went on to the quarter-finals.

• Sweden set a competition record in qualifying by coming through their eight-game campaign without conceding a goal or dropping a point, though the feat had previously been managed over six fixtures.

• Sweden clinched qualification with two games to spare on 25 June 2008 with a 5-0 win in the Republic of Ireland. Their Group 2 record was P8 W8 D0 L0 F31 A0 PTS24

• Four Sweden stalwarts who appeared in qualifying have since retired from the scene: goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson, defender Frida Östberg and forwards Therese Lundin and Hanna Ljungberg.

• Russia won their first three Group 6 games against Israel, Poland and Austria but then lost 3-0 in Norway. Having again defeated Israel, Austria and Poland they welcomed Norway on 2 October 2008 needing a big win to finish top but were held 0-0.

• Russia's Group 6 record was P8 W6 D1 L1 F25 A7 PTS19, the best of any of the six runners-up.

• In the play-offs they were drawn against Scotland and in the first leg in Edinburgh twice came from behind before substitute Natalia Barbashina's 76th-minute solo effort clinched a 3-2 win. That proved vital as, although Ifeoma Dieke's 20th-minute own goal gave Russia the lead in the home leg in Nalchik, Scotland scored twice in the second half only to depart on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw.

• A number of players who could feature in this fixture were involved when Russian champions Zvezda-2005 beat Sweden's Umeå IK 4-2 on aggregate in the UEFA Women's Cup semi-finals.

• In the first leg, Russia goalkeeper Nadezhda Baranova and compatriots Olesya Kurochkina, Ksenia Tsybutovich, Maria Dyatchkova, Valentina Savchenkova and Barbashina helped Zvezda to a 2-0 win against an Umeå side including Anna Paulson and Lisa Dahlqvist. Savchenkova set up the second goal but was then sent off.

• Savchenkova was replaced by Elena Suslova for the second leg and Kurochkina was a substitute with Baranova, Tsybutovich, Dyatchkova and Barbashina starting again as Zvezda drew 2-2 in Umea to earn a final place at their first entry against a side bidding to reach a sixth decider in eight years. Umeå, who again featured Paulson and Dahlqvist. Zvezda went on to lose the final to Germany's FCR 2001 Duisburg.