Big win in the opening match no guarantee for Norwegian European Championship success – Dagsavisen
The 4-1 victory against Northern Ireland is surpassed in Norway’s European Championship play-off history only by 5-0 over Denmark in the opening match in 1997. At that time the team followed up with 0-0 against defending champions Germany, but 0-2 against Italy sent the team headlong out of the European Championships at home.
It is one of just twice Norway has been knocked out in the group stage. The second was in 2017, when there were three straight losses without a goal.
The third best result in Norway’s proud European Championship history is 3-0 over France in the opening match in 2001. Then the team followed up with 1-1 against Italy and 0-1 against Denmark and would have been knocked out if the team had not received French help. Instead, it was a loss in the semifinals.
Since the European Championship finals for women in 1997 were expanded from four to eight teams, and group games were introduced, Norway has done just as well in tournaments with a bad start. In 2009, Norway reached the semifinals despite a 0-4 loss to Germany in the opening match. In 2005, it was the last after a point in the first two group matches (0-1 for Germany and 1-1 against France).
The last time Norway reached the final, in 2013, it was 1-1 against Iceland in the opening match. The victory over Northern Ireland was by the way Norway’s first in a European Championship opening match in 21 years.
Norway is the only team that is in the European Championship finals for the 12th time in a row. It has so far resulted in nine semi-finals, six finals and two European Championship titles.
The titles both came when the playoffs consisted of semifinals and finals. Sweden was beaten in the final in 1987 and Italy in 1993.
[ EM-kvinnene forberedt på engelsk heksegryte ]