France or Germany set to progress

Holders Germany and France meet in their second Group B fixture in Tampere with both sides looking for a second consecutive victory that would guarantee them a place in the quarter-finals.

• Should either side make it to six points, at worse they would go through as one of the two best third-placed teams. In fact, if Germany win they would seal first place unless Iceland beat Norway; similarly if Les Bleues prevail, only a Norway triumph would not ensure top spot.

• Germany will be expecting another tough match after their opening 4-0 victory over Norway, a somewhat deceptive scoreline as Silvia Neid's side scored three of those goals from the 90th minute onwards. Linda Bresonik's first-half penalty was followed up two goals from substitute Fatmire Bajramaj and one from fellow sub Anja Mittag.

• Simone Laudehr sat out the game with a knee injury but is now fit.

• Germany have not failed to win a game in this competition since 1999, a 30-match run dating back to a 4-4 draw in Italy on 11 November of that year. In 2009 qualifying they secured first place with three games to spare by winning 5-0 in Belgium and had the best overall record: P8 W8 D0 L0 F34 A1 PTS24.

• Their last EURO defeat was a 3-1 qualifying defeat at home to Norway on 2 May 1996, a 41-match run. Germany have won their last 14 EURO finals games dating back to a 0-0 draw with Norway on 3 July 1997. Since the introduction of an eight-team final tournament that year they are unbeaten in 16 such games; their last loss at a final stage was in the 1993 third-place match in Italy, when they lost 3-1 to Denmark having been knocked out by the hosts on penalties.

• France had to come from behind for their 3-1 victory over Iceland, who took an early lead through a header by Hólmfrídur Magnúsdóttir. Two penalties, converted by Camille Abily and Sonia Bompastor, turned the game around before Louisa Nécib added the third.

• France striker Candie Herbert and defender Corine Franco both sent off with first-half head injuries and look doubtful to face Germany, though midfielder Amandine Henry was back in training on Tuesday after recovering from an ankle problem.

• Les Bleues will be hoping to reverse the result that ended their finals campaign four years ago in England. Going into the final round of Group B games in 2005, Germany were through and France held second place, three points ahead of Norway. With 18 minutes to go in Warrington the game was goalless, but then Inka Grings gave Germany the lead, Renate Lingor converted a penalty and Sandra Minnert wrapped up a 3-0 win. As Norway beat Italy 5-3, they progressed on goal difference at France's expense.

• The teams for that match, the only previous fixture between these nations in a major competition, were:
Germany: Silke Rottenberg, Kerstin Garefrekes, Ariane Hingst, Steffi Jones, Sandra Minnert, Navina Omilade, Inka Grings, Renate Lingor (Britta Carlson), Conny Pohlers (Pia Wunderlich), Anja Mittag (Sonja Fuss), Birgit Prinz.
France: Sarah Bouhaddi, Sandrine Dusang, Laura Georges, Corinne Diacre, Peggy Provost, Stéphanie Mugneret-Béghé (Marie-Ange Kramo), Camille Abily (Candie Herbert), Sonia Bompastor, Sandrine Soubeyrand, Marinette Pichon (Hoda Lattaf), Louisa Nécib.

• Overall these nations have met eight times, Germany winning six to France's two victories and scoring 21 goals to three conceded. In their first meeting, in May 1987 in Dillingen/Saar, West Germany prevailed 2-0 with current coach Neid getting the second goal.

• France have won two of these teams' last three fixtures, both 1-0, in an April 2003 friendly in Ozoir-la-Ferriere with Herbert on target and in the Algarve Cup in Faro in March 2007, Elise Bussaglia scoring the goal.

• The teams for the latter match were:
Germany: Ursula Holl, Kerstin Stegemann, Ariane Hingst, Steffi Jones, Linda Bresonik, Kerstin Garefrekes (Melanie Behringer), Renate Lingor (Navina Omilade), Britta Carlson (Célia Okoyino da Mbabi), Petra Wimbersky (Bianca Rech), Birgit Prinz, Sandra Smisek (Martina Müller).
France: Sarah Bouhaddi, Sabrina Viguier, Ophélie Meilleroux, Sandrine Dusang, Sonia Bompastor, Corine Franco, Sandrine Soubeyrand, Gaetane Thiney, Camille Abily, Elise Bussaglia, Hoda Lattaf (Elodie Thomis).

• France have competed in all three editions of this competition since the eight-team showpiece stage was introduced, though they departed in the group stage in 1997, 2001 and 2005. Les Bleues suffered the same fate in their sole appearance in the FIFA Women's World Cup finals in 2003.

• Germany won the last UEFA Competition for National Representative Women Teams in 1989 with a 4-1 victory against Norway in Osnabruck and also lifted the first UEFA European Women's Championship two years later, beating the same team 3-1 after extra time in the final in Aalborg. After Norway took the title in 1993, Germany regained it in 1995 and successfully defended the trophy in 1997, 2001 and 2005, also winning the 2003 and 2007 World Cups.

• Several players who could feature in this game took part when FCR 2001 Duisburg played Olympique Lyonnais in the UEFA Women's Cup semi-finals. In the first leg at Stade de Gerland on 28 March, Germany's Sonja Fuss, Annike Krahn, Bresonik, and Grings helped Duisburg earn a 1-1 draw against a Lyon side including Georges, Franco and Thomis, while Nécib came off the bench. Earlier in the competition, Bompastor and Abily had featured for Lyon but by then had departed for Washington Freedom and Los Angeles Sol respectively.

• A week later Grings scored twice and after Thomis pulled one back, Bresonik converted a penalty as Duisburg won 3-1. As well as Grings, Bresonik, Krahn, Fuss and Bajramaj starting, Simone Laudehr came off the bench for Duisburg while Lyon started with Georges, Franco, Thomis and Nécib while Amandine Henry and Sandrine Brétigny came off the bench. Duisburg went on to beat Zvezda-2005 7-1 on aggregate in the final.

• After this tournament Germany's next scheduled competitive match is their opening game as hosts of the 2011 World Cup on 26 June 2011 at Berlin's Olympiastadion. The final is on 17 July in Frankfurt, with further host cities including Augsburg, Bochum, Dresden, Leverkusen, Monchengladbach, Sinsheim and Wolfsburg. The only previous World Cup in Europe was in Sweden in 1995, when Norway beat Germany 2-0 in the final in Stockholm.