Germany start defence against Netherlands

Germany, beginning their bid for a sixth straight title, have dominated recent meetings with a Netherlands team who were surprise semi-finalists in 2009, though they have never met on a stage as big as this.

Head-to-head record
• Of 17 encounters, Germany have won 11 and the Netherlands two, with four draws and a goal count of 43-11. However, since Silvia Neid's 2005 appointment, Germany have four straight wins with 17 goals scored and only one conceded.

• They played in two of the first European qualifiers for the inaugural 1984 finals. Both matches were drawn, 2-2 in the Netherlands and 1-1 in West Germany. The Netherlands finished ahead of West Germany, but Denmark topped the section to go through.

• For the next decade their only meetings were in friendlies – a 1984 1-1 draw in Waalwijk followed by three straight German wins.

• Matched in 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying, the Netherlands beat Germany for the first time 1-0 in Almelmo on 13 December 1997. However, Germany's 2-1 home win in Rheine the following April eliminated the Dutch, with Norway first in the section and Germany second.

• The Netherlands were 2-0 winners in Arnhem on 16 March 2000, their most recent success against Germany, but lost 3-0 at home and 6-0 away in 2003 World Cup qualifying to the eventual champions.

• A 0-0 friendly draw on 14 October 2004 in Berlin was the last time the Dutch avoided defeat by Germany.

• In 2009 qualifying, Germany conceded to Janna Torny 17 minutes into the opening fixture in Bochum – the only goal they let in during the group – but won 5-1 in the end and also 1-0 in Volendam, Annike Krahn scoring. The Netherlands eventually qualified for the first time via the play-offs.

• Germany have hosted the Netherlands in warm-ups before their last two major tournaments. Prior to UEFA Women's EURO 2009 they won 6-0 in Sinsheim, Netherlands goalkeeper Loes Guerts with an early own goal and Inka Grings, Melanie Behringer, Birgit Prinz, Simone Laudehr and Célia Okoyino Da Mbabi also scoring. The result convinced Dutch coach Vera Pauw to introduce the cautious tactics that got them to the semi-finals in Finland.

Selected previous meeting
7 June 2011: Germany 5-0 Netherlands (Da Mbabi 15, Laudehr 43, Popp 71, Kulig 75, Grings 87) - New Tivoli, Aachen, Friendly
Germany: Angerer, B Schmidt, Krahn (Goessling 46), Bartusiak, Peter, Kulig, Laudehr (Hingst 63), Garefrekes (Grings 46), Prinz (Popp 46), Bajramaj (Behringer 46), Da Mbabi (M Müller 76).
Netherlands: Guerts, Bito (Stentler 46), Meulen (Van Es 88), Van den Berg, Hogewoning (Van den Heilingenberg 46), Hoogendijk, Spitse, Slegers (De Ridder 66), Smit (Brummel 76), Pieëte (Van de Ven 56), Melis.

• Germany's penultimate match prior to hosting the 2011 World Cup maintained their winning build-up as they overwhelmed the Netherlands in Aachen.

Form guide
• Although Germany's run of 39 straight UEFA Women's EURO victories and 36 consecutive major qualifying victories, going back to November 1999, was ended in November 2011 with a 2-2 draw in Spain, they dropped no other points and ended eight clear in Group 2.

• Their goal tally from ten games was a typically impressive 64-3 – the next highest was Spain's 43 – and included a joint tournament record 17-0 defeat of Kazakhstan a week before the Spain trip.

• Da Mbabi was qualifying top scorer on 17 goals and is only one away from equalling the tournament record of 18 set by Patricia Brocker in Germany's 1995 triumph.

• Germany are aiming for a sixth straight success; since a group stage was introduced in 1997 they are unbeaten in final tournaments and on a run of 19 straight victories, including the golden goal defeat of Sweden in the 2001 final.

• Germany have not lost a UEFA European Women's Championship fixture since a 3-1 home qualifying defeat by Norway on 2 May 1996. The 57-game unbeaten run up to the end of 2013 qualifying featured 52 wins and five draws.

• However, they exited the 2011 World Cup on home soil with an extra-time loss to Japan in the quarter-finals, costing them the trophy they had held since 2003 and, for the first time, an Olympic slot.

• The Netherlands' appearance in the 2009 finals was their major tournament debut. Having knocked out Denmark and Ukraine in the group stage, they beat France on penalties in the last eight but lost their semi-final against England 2-1 after extra time.

• Although unable to pip Norway in 2011 World Cup qualifying, in their 2013 group the Netherlands dropped only five points, all against England, as they made it through as best runners-up.

Team ties
• Anja Mittag and Manon Melis are team-mates at FC Malmö.

• In 2011/12 Chantal de Ridder was a club-mate of Bianca Schmidt and Mittag at 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, though the Germany duo have since moved on.

• Similarly, Petra Hogewoning was a 2011/12 club-mate of Laudehr, Annike Krahn and Luisa Wensing at FCR 2001 Duisburg. All have now left, but Duisburg do boast Dutch midfielder Lieke Martens.

• Not only does Neid have a perfect senior coaching record against the Netherlands, but also at competitive youth level. In the 2000/01 UEFA European Women's Under-18 Championship third qualifying round, and the same stage of the new U19 tournament a year later, she oversaw two 3-0 wins.

• In 2002 in Hamm, Mittag was among the scorers facing Angela Christ and Anouk Hoogendijk. Both times Germany went on to win the title.

• There have been two matches between German and Dutch clubs in the UEFA Women's Cup/UEFA Women's Champions League, both between Potsdam and Saestum. In the 2005/06 second qualifying round, eventual runners-up Potsdam, including Nadine Angerer and Mittag, eliminated Hoogendijk's Saestum 2-0 in France.

• At the same stage a season later it was 2-2 in Saestum's Zeist home. Angerer lined up against Christ; both teams went through, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals.