Norway just too strong for France

After Monica Knudsen's 14th minute opener, Emmanuelle Sykora scored a 20th minute own goal and Dagny Mellgren hit the third goal five minutes before the interval.

The opening exchanges saw the game swing from end to end, with the onus firmly on attack from both sides.

Norwegian forward Ragnhild Gulbrandsen sent a glancing header narrowly wide in the third minute, before Sandrine Soubeyrand fired a vicious free-kick just over the crossbar at the other end.

Norway goalkeeper Bente Nordby, who was winning her 100th cap, was hardly troubled throughout the game as her team fully justified their Group B seeding.

The Azzuri set themselves up as the likely group runners-up with two goals from Patrizia Panico giving them an important win against the battling Danes.

Intensive work-out

Striker Panico brilliantly opened the scoring in the 12th minute and added a second goal 27 minutes into the second period.

Danish substitute Julie Rydhal Bukh reduced the arrears three minutes later, but the Italians held on for a hard earned victory.

The Italy-Denmark match was watched on TV by the England squad at the team hotel in Erfurt.

But while Norway and France were tussling it out in Ulm, Hope Powell's players were involved in a fierce battle of their own - an all-squad North versus South contest at the local ten-pin bowling alley.

The fun evening ended a day of preparation for Wednesday's crucial meeting with Sweden.

Victory for England could take them to within touching distance of qualification for the semi-finals.

The team line-up in their intensive work-out on the training field suggested that they will change formation from their usual 4-4-2 in order to combat the fast-raiding Swedes.