EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Stadion Maksimir - Zagreb Saturday 28 March 2015 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Croatia Group H - Matchday -8 Norway Last updated 12/07/2021 17:28CET Official Partners of UEFA EURO 2020 Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Squad list 4 Head coach 6 Match officials 7 Competition facts 8 Match-by-match lineups 9 Team facts 11 Legend 13 1 Croatia - Norway Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Previous meetings Head to Head Final Qualifying Total tournament Home Away Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA EURO Croatia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Norway - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FIFA* Croatia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Norway - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Friendlies Croatia - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 2 1 0 5 3 Norway - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 0 1 2 3 5 Total Croatia - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 2 1 0 5 3 Norway - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 0 1 2 3 5 * FIFA World Cup/FIFA Confederations Cup 2 Croatia - Norway Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Match background Croatia have made a promising start in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying and will look to maintain that momentum against Norway, who are yet to concede on the road in Group H. Previous meetings • The sides are meeting for the first time in a competitive international game, though they have met in three friendlies – two 2-1 home wins for Croatia and (most recently) a 1-1 draw in Oslo on 2 June 2012. • The nations have crossed paths four times in UEFA age-group competitions, Croatia recording three wins to Norway's one. Form guide • Croatia are unbeaten in four Group H fixtures (W3 D1), during which they have conceded only once. • Croatia have yet to lose a home game in UEFA European Championship qualifying (W21 D7). • Croatia have won their last three competitive home fixtures without conceding. • Since losing 2-0 at home to Italy in their opening match, Norway have won all three of their Group H contests, winning both of their away games in the section without conceding. Trivia and links • The Norwegian side has won five of the last six meetings between the nations' clubs in UEFA competition. The overall record of Norwegian teams against their Croatian counterparts is W5 D0 L4. 3 Croatia - Norway Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Squad list Croatia Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Danijel Subašić 27/10/1984 30 Monaco - 4 0 0 0 11 - - Lovre Kalinić 03/04/1990 24 Hajduk Split - 0 0 0 0 1 - - Ivan Vargić 15/03/1987 28 Rijeka - 0 0 0 0 1 - Defenders Shakhtar - Darijo Srna 01/05/1982 32 - 4 0 0 0 120 21 Donetsk Lokomotiv - Vedran Ćorluka 05/02/1986 29 - 4 0 0 0 79 4 Moskva - Domagoj Vida 29/04/1989 25 Dynamo Kyiv - 3 0 0 0 27 1 - Gordon Schildenfeld 18/03/1985 30 Panathinaikos - 0 0 0 0 21 - - Marin Leovac 07/08/1988 26 Rijeka - 0 0 0 0 1 - - Šime Vrsaljko 10/01/1992 23 Sassuolo - 0 0 0 0 10 - - Matej Mitrović 10/11/1993 21 Rijeka - 0 0 0 0 1 - Midfielders - Danijel Pranjić 02/12/1981 33 Panathinaikos - 3 0 0 0 54 - - Luka Modrić 09/09/1985 29 Real Madrid - 4 2 0 0 82 10 - Milan Badelj 25/02/1989 26 Fiorentina - 1 0 0 0 11 1 - Ivan Rakitić 10/03/1988 27 Barcelona - 4 0 0 0 68 9 - Ivan Perišić 02/02/1989 26 Wolfsburg - 3 3 0 0 35 8 - Marcelo Brozović 16/11/1992 22 Internazionale - 4 1 0 0 7 1 - Alen Halilović 18/06/1996 18 Barcelona - 2 0 0 0 7 - Forwards - Ivica Olić 14/09/1979 35 Hamburg - 4 0 0 0 99 19 - Anas Sharbini 21/02/1987 28 Rijeka - 0 0 0 0 2 1 - Mario Mandžukić 21/05/1986 28 Atlético - 4 0 0 0 56 17 - Andrej Kramarić 19/06/1991 23 Leicester - 3 2 0 0 4 2 - Ante Rebić 21/09/1993 21 Leipzig - 0 0 0 0 8 1 Dinamo - Marko Pjaca 06/05/1995 19 - 0 0 0 0 1 - Zagreb Coach - Niko Kovač 15/10/1971 43 - 4 0 0 0 13 - 4 Croatia - Norway Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Norway Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Ørjan Nyland 10/09/1990 24 Molde - 4 0 0 0 10 - - Sten Grytebust 25/10/1989 25 Aalesund - 0 0 0 0 2 - - Andre Hansen 17/12/1989 25 Rosenborg - 0 0 0 0 2 - Defenders - Tom Høgli 24/02/1984 31 København - 1 0 0 0 43 2 - Even Hovland 14/02/1989 26 Nürnberg - 0 0 0 0 2 - - Vegar Hedenstad 26/06/1991 23 Braunschweig - 0 0 0 0 4 - - Omar Elabdellaoui 05/12/1991 23 Olympiacos - 4 0 0 0 13 - - Vegard Forren 16/02/1988 27 Molde - 4 0 0 0 19 - - Ruben Gabrielsen 10/03/1992 23 Molde - 0 0 0 0 - - - Martin Linnes 20/09/1991 23 Molde - 2 0 0 0 10 - Midfielders - Jone Samuelsen 06/07/1984 30 Odd - 3 0 0 0 7 - - Per Ciljan Skjelbred 16/06/1987 27 Hertha - 4 0 0 0 29 1 - Alexander Tettey 04/04/1986 28 Norwich - 4 0 0 0 22 - - Harmeet Singh 12/11/1990 24 Molde - 1 0 0 0 5 - - Håvard Nordtveit 21/06/1990 24 Mönchengladbach - 4 1 0 0 21 2 - Anders Konradsen 18/07/1990 24 Rennes - 0 0 0 0 7 1 - Stefan Johansen 08/01/1991 24 Celtic - 4 0 0 0 15 1 - Markus Henriksen 25/07/1992 22 AZ - 0 0 0 0 18 1 - Mats Møller Daehli 02/03/1995 20 Freiburg - 4 1 0 0 11 1 - Martin Ødegaard 17/12/1998 16 Real Madrid - 1 0 0 0 3 - Forwards - Mohammed Abdellaoue 23/10/1985 29 Stuttgart - 0 0 0 0 32 7 - Tarik Elyounoussi 23/02/1988 27 Hoffenheim * 4 1 0 0 34 9 - Håvard Nielsen 15/07/1993 21 Braunschweig - 4 1 0 0 11 2 Coach - Per-Mathias Høgmo 01/12/1959 55 - 4 0 0 0 15 - 5 Croatia - Norway Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Head coach Niko Kovač Date of birth: 15 October 1971 Nationality: Croatian Playing career: FC Hertha 03 Berlin-Zehlendorf, Hertha BSC Berlin, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, FC Bayern München, FC Salzburg Coaching career: Croatia Under-21, Croatia • Born in Berlin to parents hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kovač began his career at local side Hertha Zehlendorf before earning a move to second-tier Hertha Berlin in 1991. A defensive midfielder, he then joined Leverkusen, playing alongside younger brother Robert for the first time. • Signed for Hamburg in 1999 but was reunited with Robert when the pair were snapped up by Bayern two years later. Won a league and cup double in 2002/03 yet struggled to tie down a starting spot and returned to Hertha in 2003, subsequently ending his playing days with Salzburg. • Collected his first Croatia cap in 1996 and featured in 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying, only for injury to rule him out of the finals. He was ever-present, though, at the 2002 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004. He was also a fixture at the 2006 global showpiece and impressed at UEFA EURO 2008, finishing up – in 2009 – with 83 caps and 14 international goals under his belt. • Quickly turned to coaching, first overseeing Salzburg's youth side and then working as a first-team assistant. Left Salzburg in 2012 and took charge, along with brother Robert, of Croatia's U21 squad in January 2013. • Named caretaker coach of Croatia's senior team on 16 October 2013 following Igor Štimac's resignation, he penned a two-year deal the next day and oversaw a 2-0 aggregate victory over Iceland in the 2014 World Cup play-offs, Croatia bowing out in the group stage in Brazil. Per-Mathias Høgmo Date of birth: 1 December 1959 Nationality: Norwegian Playing career: Gratangen IL, FK Mjølner, Tromsø IL (twice), IFK Norrköping Coaching career: Gratangen IL, Tromsalden UIL, Tromsø IL (three times), Fossum IF, Moss FK, Norway (women), Norway Under-21, Rosenborg BK, Djurgårdens IF, Norway • An industrious winger, Høgmo's playing career peaked with a 1986 Norwegian Cup success with Tromsø; he then turned to coaching, leading local clubs and helping out with Norway's national youth teams. • Coached Norway's women's side from 1997, winning Olympic gold in 2000, before being asked to spearhead the men's Under-21 squad, a position he left in 2003. • Following a second spell in charge of Tromsø, Høgmo worked as a television pundit. A subsequent return to club football with Rosenborg in 2005 was ill-fated: he quit the next year, having been signed off with health problems. • Returned to coaching, again with Tromsø, in 2008, securing some solid league finishes and two attempts at UEFA Europa League qualifying before heading abroad for the first time in his career to take the reins at Swedish outfit Djurgården in 2013. • Appointed Norway coach in September 2013 after Egil Olsen agreed to step down, penning a four-year contract. 6 Croatia - Norway Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Match officials Referee Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP) Assistant referees Roberto Alonso (ESP) , Juan Yuste (ESP) Additional assistant referees Carlos Del Cerro (ESP) , Fernando Teixeira (ESP) Fourth official Pau Cebrián Devís (ESP) UEFA Delegate Martin Sturkenboom (NED) UEFA Referee observer Eugen Strigel (GER) Referee UEFA EURO Name Date of birth UEFA matches matches Carlos Velasco Carballo 16/03/1971 6 57 Carlos Velasco Carballo Referee since: 1988 First division: 2004 FIFA badge: 2008 Tournaments: 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA EURO 2012 Finals 2011 UEFA Europa League UEFA European Championship matches featuring the two countries involved in this match Stage Date Competition Home Away Result Venue reached 06/09/2011 EURO QR Croatia Israel 3-1 Zagreb Other matches involving teams from either of the two countries involved in this match Stage Date Competition Home Away Result Venue reached 17/12/2009