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We deliberately did not cover their previous matches in the qualifiers and left that for here, since that was over a year ago, and also some details are different. Norway did win both matches (23-25, 18-30), but first things first. The first match in Oradea was an even one almost to the very end, with 22-22 at 57mins, and Romanians deserved a draw at least. The rematch four days later was a blowout, partly due to the outcome of the first match and partly since right wing Nechita did not play and Perianu was semi-fit. Most importantly, best Romanian player Cristina Neagu did not play in either of those matches, and she is crucial for this team. Norway on the other hand fielded their best setup, with Lunde on goal, Sulland and Edin on perimeter, all of which will not be on this EC.
The current situation favors Romania much more, as they have Cristina Neagu in peak form and much better than in 2010, when she was dubbed best in the world. They did great work in the preparation period and will be playing where they feel almost at home. You can rarely threaten Norway, but the fact is they lost their edge on offense. They lack elite perimeter players they had these past years, they have great pivots and wingers, and they lost a lot with goalie Lunde leaving, as she was the foundation of their success in the past decade. I expect a much closer match than the odds suggest, and Romania staying within the margin for handicap

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