Neighbours renew rivalry

Few teams have met in as many women's internationals as Sweden and Norway and their 31-year rivalry continues at this level on Friday in the quarter-finals.

• Sweden lived up to their strong pre-tournament billing by sailing through Group C in three Turku fixtures, defeating Russia 3-0 and Italy 2-0 to secure qualification, then drawing 1-1 with England to make sure of first place.

• Victoria Sandell Svensson, who has a Swedish record 165 caps and 67 goals, has scored twice in what will be her last international tournament and after the group stage shared the lead with six other players in the adidas Golden Boot award race.

• Norway opened, like in 2005 when they were runners-up, with a defeat by Germany in Tampere, although this time it finished 4-0 with three of the goals coming after the 89-minute mark. They then beat Iceland 1-0 in Lahti and drew 1-1 with France at the Helsinki Football Stadium to go through from Group B as one of the two best third-placed teams.

• These sides met in the last friendly before the finals, Norway putting a difficult year behind them with a 1-0 win in Enkoping, Isabell Herlovsen scoring on 57 minutes.

• Cecilie Pedersen, who was to be Norway's match-winner against Iceland, made her debut in the Sweden friendly, as did Marit Sandvei and Petra Larsson for the home side only three days after replacing the injured Linda Forsberg in the squad.

• They also played on 31 January in La Quinta, Spain, when Sweden won 5-1 thanks, largely, to four goals from Lotta Schelin. Sara Larsson also scored for Sweden while Ingvild Stensland replied for Norway, who were playing their first game since the retirement of a number of players following qualification. Linnea Liljegärd made her Sweden debut; Caroline Knutsen, Hedda Strand Gardsjord and Ingvild Isaksen all won their first Norway caps.

• They also played twice in 2008 and both times Sweden won 2-0 in Larnaca and Sandefjord.

• Their last competitive meeting was in the UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2005™ semi-finals in Warrington. Norway led through Solveig Gulbrandsen and Herlovsen but Hanna Ljungberg equalised late in each half to force extra time. However, there was no reply after Gulbrandsen volleyed in to make it 3-2 in the 109th minute.

• Surprisingly, that was their first meeting in this competition since the two-legged semi-final of 1995 which Sweden won 7-5 on aggregate.

• In 1987 they played in the final in Oslo which Norway won 2-1.

• Sweden were the holders having won the inaugural 1984 edition; these sides met in qualifying for that competition and Sweden won 2-0 at home and 2-1 away.

• They have also met at two FIFA Women's World Cups; in 1999 Norway beat Sweden 3-1 in the quarter-finals in the United States and in the inaugural 1991 edition, Norway beat Sweden 4-1 in the semi-finals.

• They first met on 7 July 1978 in Kolding, Sweden winning 2-1, and it took until 1982 for Norway to win what was up to that point an annual encounter.

• Overall they have played 42 times, Norway leading 21-13 in wins with eight draws, and 73-63 in goals.

• The winners of this tie play Germany or Italy, also at the Helsinki Football Stadium, on Monday, with the final across the way at the Olympic Stadium three days later.