Spain 2 Norway 1: Spain needed a late Henning Berg own goal to clinch a win over Norway in an electrifying Euro 2004 play-off first leg in Valencia on Saturday.
Inaki Saez's side still have plenty of work to do to reach the finals in Portugal, though, after a spectacular display from Norwegian goalkeeper Espen Johnsen left them with the slimmest of leads to take into the second leg in Oslo on Wednesday.
Norway took the lead in the 14th minute through Steffen Iversen, but Spain hit back with a Raul header seven minutes later.
Spain launched wave after wave of attack over the remainder of the game but were kept at bay until the 85th minute, when substitute Joaquin sent in a low cross from the right and Ruben Baraja slid in a shot that Berg deflected into his net.
Johnsen then pulled off a quite incredible double save in injury-time to limit the damage to a 2-1 defeat and keep Norway handily placed with the second leg to come on home territory.
Spain struggled to get past Norway's defensive wall early on, with only Fernando Torres going close when he flicked the ball wide in the 12th minute after a surging run from deep. Raul then saw a half-chance cleared by Berg before the home side were hit by a sucker punch from Norway in the 14th minute.
Iversen struck right-footed from close-in after Roar Strand had split the home defence with a header back into the box.
Spain soon hit back. Jose Antonio Reyes struck a perfect free kick from out wide on the right for Raul to glance a header past Johnsen.
Reyes came tantalisingly close to putting Spain ahead three minutes later when he slid in to meet a cross from Joseba Etxeberria only for Johnsen to make a point-blank save.
Flo then missed two chances to put Norway back in front, first latching on to a loose ball after a mistake from Michel Salgado to fire over and then taking Carlos Marchena's missed clearance and forcing a good save from Iker Casillas.
SPAIN: Casillas, Salgado, Helguera, Marchena, Puyol, Albelda, Baraja, Etxeberria (Joaquin 78), Reyes (Vicente 78), Torres (Valeron 69), Raul. Subs Not Used: Canizares, Bravo, Alonso, Luque. Booked: Marchena. Goals: Raul 21, Berg (og) 85.
NORWAY: Espen Johnsen, Basma, Henning Berg, Lundekvam, Riise, Solli, Andersen, Strand (Brattbakk 24), Andresen (Runar Berg 57), Iversen (Frode Johnsen 78), Tore Andre Flo. Subs Not Used: Olsen, Stensaas, Hangeland, Haavard Flo. Booked: Henning Berg, Iversen, Lundekvam. Goals: Iversen 14.
Referee: Graham Poll (England).
