Norway know way to win against Netherlands

The two beaten UEFA Women's EURO 2009 semi-finalists come head to head in their second Group B game in Kalmar and Norway are defending an unbeaten competitive record against the Netherlands.

Head-to-head record
• In 17 meetings, Norway have won ten and the Netherlands two with five draws, the goal tally 33-7. Both of the Netherlands' two wins have come in their seven non-competitive games.

• Two of the earliest women's national teams, they first met in Tai Chung, Taiwan, on 16 October 1981 when Norway won 3-0.

• Norway beat the Netherlands in the two-legged quarter-finals of the 1989 and 1993 championships. In the first, in autumn 1988, they won 2-1 a home and 3-0 away, and four years later both legs ended 3-0 to Norway, who went on to win the trophy under Even Pellerud.

• The Netherlands' two 1-0 wins came in a 1990 friendly in The Hague and five years later at the Algarve Cup.

• In 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying, Norway beat the Netherlands 6-1 at home and drew 0-0 away as they topped the group ahead of Germany, with the Dutch third.

• In UEFA Women's EURO 2005 qualifying, both games ended 2-0 to Norway.

Selected previous meetings
24 October 2009: Norway 3-0 Netherlands (Rønning 44pen, S Gulbrandsen 45+1, Herlovsen 87) – Nadderud, Bekkestua, FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying
Norway: Hjelmseth, Akerhaugen, Stensland, Giske, Huse (Woods 90), Rønning (Lund 83), S Gulbrandsen, Herlovsen, Klaveness, C Pedersen (Thorsnes 63), Mjelde.
Netherlands: Guerts, Bito, Koster, Muelen, Hogewoning, Hoogendijk, Giffioen, Van de Ven (Oudejans 78), Melis, Pieëte, Smit.

19 June 2010: Netherlands 2-2 Norway (Melis 2, Dekker 80; Herlovsen 5, Vikestad 48) – FC Zwolle, Zwolle, FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying
Netherlands: Guerts, Bito, Koster, Muelen (Spitse 72), Hogewoning, Hoogendijk, Giffioen, Van de Ven (Van den Heilingenberg 88), Melis, Pieëte (Dekker 59), Smit.
Norway: Hjelmseth, Vikestad, Mjelde, Akerhaugen, Woods (Larsen Kaurin 87), S Gulbrandsen, Herlovsen (Haavi 68), Knutsen, Storløkken, Klaveness, Mykjåland (Stensland 72).

• Under new coach Eli Landsem, Norway made a flying start to World Cup qualifying and the comeback draw in Zwolle effectively confirmed their progress. Those were the only points they dropped in the group.

• In the Netherlands' first ever female final tournament, the 2003 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship in Germany, their second group game was against Norway. Eventual runners-up Norway won 2-1 with the Netherlands eventually missing out on the semis due to Melissa Wiik's late winner.

• The Netherlands included Anouk Hoogendijk, Manon Melis and Kirsten van de Ven.

• Norway beat the Netherlands 4-2 in the 2006/07 U19 first qualifying round in Lithuania, Marita Lund, Maren Mjelde, Ingvild Isaksen and Elise Thorsnes playing against Angela Christ, Marlous Pieëte and Chantal de Ridder. Thorsnes scored twice in the first 11 minutes while Pieëte pulled it back to 4-2.

• A year later at the same stage Norway won 2-0 in Slovenia, Isaksen and Lund taking on Christ and Pieëte.

Form guide
• Norway lost both their opening fixtures in the 2005 and 2009 finals so at least Thursday's 1-1 draw with Iceland was an improvement. Nevertheless they were left disappointed in Kalmar as an 87th penalty from Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir denied them all three points. Even Pellerud's team had led from the 26th minute when Kristine Hegland got the better of the Iceland defence.

• 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 record of having qualifed every time since their 1987 triumph; they missed out on the last four in only in 1997.

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

• In their opening fixture at Sweden 2013, the Netherlands achieved the not-inconsiderable feat of ending Germany's run of 19 straight wins at UEFA Women's EURO finals with a 0-0 draw in the Växjö Arena on Thursday.

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

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

Team ties
• Norway defender Nora Holstad Berge and Netherlands striker Manon Melis were Linköpings FC team-mates in 2012.