Norway need Iceland repeat

Norway and Iceland are familiar opponents, both from UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualifying and the 2009 finals.

Head-to-head record
• These nations have met ten times with five of those meetings in the last four years. Overall Norway lead 7-2 in wins, with one draw, and 26-14 in goals.

• They played in two of the first European qualifiers for the inaugural 1984 finals. Norway were held 2-2 at home on 28 August 1982 – still their only draw against Iceland – and won 1-0 away the following July.

• That was it until the 1997 Algarve Cup, when a Norway team at the peak of their powers triumphed 6-0.

• There have been two subsequent Algarve Cup meetings, Iceland winning 3-1 in 2009 and Norway prevailing 3-2 the next year.

• In 2005 they were drawn together in the Women's EURO play-offs. Eventual runners-up Norway won 7-2 in a first leg played indoors in Reykjavik and 2-1 at home.

• Iceland made their finals debut in 2009 and lost 1-0 in their second group game against Norway to end their hopes. Cecilie Pedersen got the only goal in Lahti on 54 minutes, the 18-year-old's first start eight days after her senior debut.

Selected previous meetings
17 September 2011: Iceland 3-1 Norway (Magnúsdóttir 8 32, M Vidarsdóttir 15; Stensland 70) – Laugardalsvöllur, Reyjkavik, UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualifying
Iceland: Helgadóttir, Atladóttir, Ó Vidarsdóttir, Fridriksdóttir (Brynjarsdóttir 75), Gisladóttir, Magnúsdóttir, Gunnarsdóttir, K Jónsdóttir, M Vidarsdóttir, Lárusdóttir (Ódinsdóttir 80), Ómarsdóttir (Olafsdóttir 63).
Norway: Hjelmseth, Akerhaugen, Mjelde, Stensland, Woods (Andersen 37, Isaksen 72), Rønning, Herlovsen, Haavi (Isaeksen 75), Garsjord, Thorsnes, Mykjåland.

19 September 2012: Norway 2-1 Iceland (Mjelde 39, Thornes 42; M Vidarsdóttir 66) – Ullevaal, Oslo, UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualifying
Norway: Hjelmseth, Lund, Christensen, Knudsen, Akerhaugen, Mjelde, Gulbrandsen, Herlovsen, Isaeksen (Hansen 67), Thorsnes (Holstad 77), Knutsen.
Iceland: Helgadóttir, Atladóttir, Hönnudóttir (Lárusdóttir 56), Gardarsdóttir (Thorsteinsdóttir 71), Magnúsdóttir, Gísladóttir, Gunnarsdóttir, K Jónsdóttir, M Vidarsdóttir, Fridriksdóttir (Brynjarsdóttir 84), Ómarsdóttir.

• These teams were drawn in the same qualifying group and Norway made a nightmare start with their 3-1 loss in Reykjavik. They went on to lose in Northern Ireland but thanks to Iceland dropping five points against Belgium, their last match in Oslo was to prove decisive. A point behind, Norway needed to win and duly did, aided by a first competitive start since 2010 for Solveig Gulbrandsen after reverseing her decision to retire.

• The nations have met twice in the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship final tournament, both in the group stage. In 2007 hosts Iceland, in their first ever youth finals fixture, lost 5-0 to Norway. Maren Mjelde scored twice and Ingvild Isaksen and Elise Thorsnes were also on target for a side containing Martina Lund against an Iceland team including Rakel Hönnudóttir, Gudný Björk Ódinsdóttir, Fanndís Fridriksdóttir and Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir.

• Two years later it was 0-0 in Belarus. Fridriksdóttir was joined by Dagný Brynjarsdóttir in the Iceland team while Pedersen linked up with Hege Hansen.

Form guide
• Norway lost two of their first four qualifiers in Iceland and Northern Ireland but won all six fixtures in 2012 to top their section and maintain a perfect qualifying record since their 1987 triumph – only in 1997 did they not make the last four.

• However coach Eli Landsem's contract was not renewed at the end of 2012, meaning a return for 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup–winning manager Even Pellerud from Trinidad and Tobago. Pellerud was also in charge for Norway's second Women's EURO victory in 1993.

• Iceland qualified for their first major tournament in reaching UEFA Women's EURO 2009 but failed to secure a point. This time, having been pipped in their qualifying group by Norway, they overcame Ukraine in the play-offs.

Team ties
• The last competitive meeting between clubs from these nations was in the 2005/06 UEFA Women's Cup first qualifying round when Valur Reykjavík defeated Røa Fotball Elite 4-1 in Finland, though both progressed. Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir scored twice with further goals by Dóra Maria Lárusdóttir and Ódinsdóttir for Valur, whose team also contained Gudbjörg Gunnarsdóttir. Røa included Marit Fiane Christensten.

• In the inaugural 2001/02 edition, SK Trondheims-Ørn defeated KR Reykjavík 9-0 in a group game. The Trondheims-Ørn lineup included Ingrid Hjelmseth and Trine Rønning while Hólmfrídur Magnúsdóttir was in the KR team.