Righto, thanks for your company – ta-ra.
...so now go here!
...so now go here!
Here’s Will Unwin’s match report...
We’ve got so much else going on, it’s indecent.
Bonansea, left on the bench after a poor performance against France, made a big difference when she came on at half-time. I’m sure she’ll start the next game, and Girelli might too. On telly, meanwhile, they’re praising Simonetti, whose midfield prompting was crucial; I hope she gets two players next to her on Monday, so she can focus on string-pulling.
Iceland had proper chances to win that, most particularly the one missed by Johannsdottir immediately before the equaliser. But on the balance of play, Italy deserved a draw, and perhaps are closer to finding their best team.
Full-time: Italy 1-1 Iceland
A point that isn’t great for either team, but still far, far better for Italy. They need to beat belgium to qualify, most likely, while Iceland probably need to beat France and the reaction of some of their team tells us they think they’re out.
Updated
90+2 min Gunnlaugsdottir attacks Boattin on the outside, but the defender does well to get body between player and ball.
90 min There’ll be three added minutes.
90 min Aw, man – on the bench, Vilhjalmsdottir is in tears following that miss.
89 min Here come Iceland again, Gudmundsdottir haring down the right, collectins a ball into space and crossing low for Jonsdottir ... who tries a pirouette, facing away from goal, but can’t sort out her feet to get away a shot.
88 min Iceland send on Magnusdottir and Gunnlaugsdottir for Vilhjalmsdottir and Gisladottir.
Updated
88 min Nice from Iceland, Vilhjalmsdottir finding Jonsdottir down the left of the box and she cuts back a return pass ... THIS IS THE CHANCE! But Vilhjalmsdottir can’t control the ball properly scuffs her shot! What an oversight that is!
Updated
87 min Nice touch from Rosucci finds Simonetti, who tries to step inside, but can’t beat her marker.
Updated
86 min And there she is, attacking the near post when a fine ball down the right finds Bartoli. But she cant get on the end of the eventuating cross, and Iceland get it away.
85 min Final shot at the dart from Italy, Sabatino replacing Giacinto.
84 min Assuming Belgium lose to France, a draw here isn’t terrible for Italy, who’ll have to beat them in their final game – but that’s no more than they’d have expected.
83 min Iceland are struggling to get it forward – can they force a throw? –but it’s been a while since Italy created anything much.
81 min Minor temper as Jonsdottir bumps Linari from behind, Linari going down and winning the free-kick, but it looked fair enough to me.
80 min If this match stays 1-1 both teams along with Belgium will go into the final round of games in the qualification hunt – though Iceland will have to take something against France. Good luck with that, old mates.
79 min Italy win a corner down the right ... that Girelli curls into Sigurdadottir’s gloves.
78 min Iceland replace their captain, Gunnarsdottir – a midfielder – with Gudmundsdottir, a striker. I see why they’ve done it – they want to win – but they’re struggling to get on the ball, which they probably need to do in order to score.
76 min But they wi a corner down the left ... and again poor delivery, again from Simonetti, means the ball is cleared at the near post.
75 min Only Italy look like winning this now; how they must wish they’d put their heads on before coming out for kick-off.
Updated
73 min Italy break down the right, a big switch finding Simonetti on the left of the box. She feeds Bonansea, just inside her, and though she doesn’t control well, she slides into a challenge, wins the ball and stands up in one movement, Ryan Giggs-style ... and drills a shot against the foot of the near post! I’m not sure she’ll be getting left out of the next game, but can her team make it one that counts?
72 min It’s been a while since Iceland threatened, but they send everyone forward when they force a goalkick on halfway, Sugurdadottir humping it and Italy clearing.
70 min Back to Kári Tulinius’ email, growing up in Iceland in the early 80s must’ve been brilliant.
68 min But here come Italy again, Bonansea, who’s made a big difference, megging Brynjarsdottir and with only Viggosdottir between her and goal. But instead of using the defender as a shield, bending the ball around her, she strikes it by her, which makes for an easy save.
67 min “For an Icelander of my generation,” begins Kári Tulinius, “born in the early 80s, you don’t grow up expecting to see Iceland win at football. Since the third minute, I’ve been holding my breath, waiting for the Sword of Damocles to fall. If you think it was a relief to see Italy equalise, it wasn’t, it was a crushing disappointment. But, stupidly, I still hope.”
Iceland still have a decent shot here, if they can avoid conceding in the next 10 minutes, I reckon.
65 min Credit to Milena Bertolini, she didn’t wait to be asked and made her changes quickly, changing the game in the process.
63 min There’s a VAR check for something, i think whether Bonansea was offside, but she times her run as is fine. I didn’t think that goal was coming, but you have to fancy Italy now.
GOAL! Italy 1-1 Iceland (Bergamaschi 62)
Italy move forward immediately, Simonetti sweeping wide to Bonansea down the left, who runs at Vidarsdottir. She tries a cross, it’s blocked back to her and she goes again, rolling studs over the ball to move on the outside before cutting back, and Bergamaschi cleverly allows it across her body to punch a fine a right-footed finish inside the near post! Iceland have been footballed!
Updated
61 min Iceland should score again! Gisladottir curls in from the right, Viggosdottir heads back across ... and Johannsdottir scuffs wide of the near post from five yards!
60 min But Iceland clear then break, Jonsdottir beating Bergamschi, who yanks her down and accepts the inevitable caution.
60 min Italy quickly win a free-kick down the left, Bartoli ready to curl in...
59 min And another change for Italy, Bartoli replacing Gama, the captain.
58 min A double change for Iceland, Jonsdottir and Thorvaldsdottir replaced by Albertsdottir and Joahannsdottir.
Updated
56 min Italy continue to pressure, but Iceland continue to wear it. I fancy them to see this out.
Updated
54 min Nice from Iceland, Gunnarsdottir into Thorvaldsdottir, who touches off a return pass ... but Gunnarsdottir can only loop a poor effort over the top.
54 min Simonetti is on the ground, scrapping for the ball which winds up between her feet, so Gunnarsdottir kicks through her. This match is nurturing a burgeoning tetch, I think – it’s not booted off yet, but you feel that it might.
53 min Linari does well to turn away from Thorvaldsdottir, who knocks her over for her trouble.
51 min A second change for Italy, Piemonte, who’s given it everything, replaced by Girelli, who races on hollering at her mates.
49 min “You’d have to hope that Italy get their act together a bit more in front of goal,if we’re going to see them in the rest of the competition” emails Charles Antaki. “At the moment, it’s Nifti in midfield ad Scrappi upfront. And they do play some lovely stuff, somewhat easier on the eye than Iceland.”
I’m enjoying both, I must say, but I agree Italy need a bit of edge.
48 min Simonetti looks to curl an oblique pass into Piemonte, from just outside the box towards the near post, but it runs through to Sigurdadottir.
Updated
47 min Decent progress down the right from Italy, Bonansea crossing for Piemonte, but Viggosdottir and Arnadottir get it away between them just.
46 min Italy take off the disappointing Caruso, replacing her with Bonansea. I wonder if they’ll go to 4-3-3 too.
46 min Away we go!
For Italy, it’s now or never.
Back come our teams...
Half-time reading:
Half-time: Italy 0-1 Iceland
If Italy can’t score in the second half, they’re going home. This is going to get intense.
Updated
45 min Again, Italy knock the ball about, but again, Iceland are into shape. But here’s Simonetti, turning adroitly and sliding and low, diagonal ball seeking Piemonte ... who can’t quite reach it.
42 min A let-off for Iceland ... no, for Italy, Piemonte controlling well on the chest and playing a nice pass into Rosucci, who feeds it back to her so she can send Caruso through the middle. Her first touch, though, is miserable, taking her wide, so she’ll be relived to see the flag go up.
40 min Here we go, Iceland win another throw down the left, so here comes Jonsdottir ... and again Italy help with a flick-on, again there’s head-tennis ... but this time Italy get it away. What a weapon these restarts are.
39 min Piemonte leaves one on the other Jonsdottir, so Iceland waste a bit of time while she recovers.
37 min Italy are now having most of the ball but Iceland look as likely to score next ... and as I type that, another sensible foul, Viggosdottir on Piemonte, extracts momentum from Italy’s latest attack.
35 min Nice from Piemonte who, facing the play, accepts a pass into feet, turning as she controls, so Arnardottir rattles her and the resultant free-kick comes to nothing.
34 min But Italy win another corner, Simonetti with it ... and it’s hoofed away by whoever’s on the near post. Iceland are seeing away most of these attacks with relative ease.
33 min Another free-kick to Italy, again down the left, and Boattin looks towards the near post, but the ball runs through to Sigurdadottir and Giacinti gestures her intense displeasure.
31 min I’m really impressed with how well Iceland are getting to second balls. As Graeme Souness likes to say, the team that gets to the ball first usually wins, and though that’s easily dismissed as the rantings of an auld man, it’s true; Souness remains a decent analyst, and simplifying things that are often over-complicated is a virtue, not a criticism.
30 min A poor free-kick is headed straight out by Vidarsdottir.
29 min The Iceland fans are giving their team decent support here, but it’s Italy with a free-kick and the chance to stick a ball into the box from down the left...
Updated
28 min This is a really enjoyable game so far, and the more desperate Italy get – believe me they’re capable of much more than this - the better it’ll get.
25 min Rosucci prompts but can’t pick a gap through which to wriggle, but Di Guglielmo snaps a clever reverse-pass into Boattin, who lays back for Simonetti, who crosses well ... but Piemonte drags a decent chance that Sigurdadottir saves.
23 min Iceland waste a corner but win the ball back on the edge of the Italy box, Vilhjalmsdottir finding Jonsdottir. She scythes on the outside of the nearest defender and looks to have made a chance for a shot, but her final shot before it is a little heavy, narrowing the angle so that she can’t find a teammate and can only fire into the near-post side-netting.
22 min Italy are the better team now, but Iceland are still a threat.
Updated
20 min Caruso advances and, with no one coming out to her, she arrives in the D with a shooting lane open. But instead of putting laces through ball, she opens body to try a precise curler inside the post and Sigurdadottir sprawls into a save easily enough.
19 min Italy are playing better now, using that 4-4-2 to stretch the play and overload down the flanks. Iceland, though, won’t mind defending narrow and allowing the cross because they’ll back themselves to clear.
18 min Italy win a corner down the right and it’s Linari at the near post looking for it, but someone, Arnadottir I think, does enough to concede another, and this time Iceland clear with Di Guglielmo doing well to stop the counter.
17 min Iceland win another free-kick, this time on the right, and though it’s a long way out, Vilhjalmsdottir arrows a decent ball into the box. But it’s too close to Giuliani, who comes out to catch confidently.
15 min I was impressed by Jónsdóttir when Wolfsburg played Arsenal in last season’s Champions League, and she looks in decent nick here too.
13 min Jonsdottir sticks another decent delivery into the box and when Di Guglielmo misses it, Giuliani has to come out to fall on the loose ball with Thorvaldsdottir charging in.
11 min nice from Italy again, Caruso hitting Bergamaschi, who knocks down for Piemonte ... who fires wide.
10 min Now it’s Gama on the right, also swinging into the box after beating Brynjarsdottir with a clever feint, but she can’t pick out Giacinti.
9 min But here come Italy, moving into the Iceland half for what sees like the first time, Bergamaschi tossing into the box and Rosucci unable to fashion a shooting lane. Still, reltive to what we’ve seen so far, it’s something.
9 min What a start this has been from Iceland.
Updated
8 min Again, Vilhjalmsdottir’s delivery is excellent, Iceland win first, second and third balls as Italy flap, before Gunnarsdottir hauls a shot wide as the ball comes over her shoulder. The ref says no, but a replay shows it ought to have been.
7 min Iceland win a corner left of centre, 40 yards out, Vilhjalmsdottir sends a decent ball in, and in the repachage that follows the ball goes behind for a corner.
5 min Italy are in trouble now. Iceland are physical, quick and have this set-piece threat, while they’ve conceded early again. Can they keep the heid but find their form?
GOAL! Italy 0-1 Iceland (Vilhjalmsdottir 3)
Jonsdottir hurls a tremendous long throw into the box, Piemonte inadvertently flicks on, Rosucci can’t clear, and Vilhjalmsdottir slices a tricky half-volley into the top-right corner! Game on!
Updated
3 min Gama tries to find Caruso, whose control is poor, so Iceland take a quick throw and Diguglielmo sticks out for a throw deep inside the Italy half.
2 min Italy let in five goals in the first half of their match against France, but we shouldn’t forget how good France are, not Azzurre’s second-half improvement. The game was dead, yes, but that didn’t help Norway much against England.
1 min False start; we go again.
1 min Away we go!
Credit where it’s due, this is a serious rendition from the Italian players. What a complete and utter choon. Siiiiiiii!
Updated
Pump up the volume!
It’s anthem time! Eyes down for some dreadful singing; Il Canto degli Italiani is imminent!
“‘Stadium announcer:’” tweets @stejormur. “‘Let’s hear from some of the most passionate fans in football, the Italians!” [silence] ‘Well, there’s four of them.’ Great but extremely unbalanced crowd in the stadium. Probably the whole of Iceland is packed in here, while the announcers struggle to find any Italians. Almost seems like a home match for the Icelanders.”
Iceland have, though, missed a trick in omitting their crest.
Yes, I know it’s still a suit so what can you do, but still: decent suit-game from both sides.
This is a bazzer of a choice for a theme tune.
That said, I quite like a 4-3-3 against a 4-4-2, because you outnumber the opposition in midfield without necessarily ceding the flanks. I wonder if Italy might ask a centre-back to step in or, more likely, pull an attacker deeper.
I’m expecting goals today because it’s a while since either team failed to score and both absolutely must today. so, now that you ask, I’m going for 2-1 Italy. Really sticking my neck out with that one.
Is there anything in the world better than working-day sport?
Hint: No.
Also going on at the moment:
Find out more about our teams:
Iceland’s change is, Thorsteinn Halldórsson explained to Uefa, “Not very deep thinking.” But he felt Atladottir wouldn’t last 90 minutes, “so we just needed fresh legs there.”
Italy make two changes, replacing Bonansea and Girelli, their two strikers, with Giacinti and Piemonte, and also change from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2, while Iceland swap right-backs, Vidarsdóttir in for Atladottir.
Updated
Teams!
Italy (4-4-2): Guiliani; Di Guglielmo, Gama, Linari, Boattin; Bergamaschi, Simonetti, Rosucci, Caruso; Piemonte, Giacinti. Subs: Schroffenegger, Durante, Galli, Guigliano, Sabatino, Girelli, Bonansea, Bartoli, Bonfantini, Filangeri, Lenzini.
Iceland (4-3-3): Sigurdardottir; Vidarsdottir E, Arnardottir Gudr, Viggosdottir Gl, Gisladottir; Jonsdottir G, Brynjarsdottir, Gunnarsdottir; Jonsdottir, S Thorvaldsdottir, Vilhjalmsdottir. Subs: Sveinbjornsdottir, Atladottir, Sigurdardottir I, Magnusdottir, Johannsdottir, Jensen, Albertsdottir, Gunnlaugsdottir, Arnadottir Gudn, Gudmundsdottir, Jacobsen Andradottir.
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (Finland)
Updated
Preamble
It seems fair to posit that a 5-1 gubbing is a questionable way to begin a tournament – though presumably there are folk on the internet who’ll argue to the contrary – but despite that, Italy are no mugs. First of all, France are a terrific side with an almost embarrassing array of attacking talent, but more than that, in the last year or so, the Azzurre – who reached the last eight of the World Cup – have beaten Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland, as well as drawing with Austria, Sweden and Spain. They can play.
But they’ll probably need to win today, against an Iceland side who are also no mugs. It’s true that they couldn’t finish above Sweden in qualifying, but there’s no shame in that, and they reached the competition as one of the best runners-up because they’re decent at the back without being toothless in attack. They know they’ve the ability to come second in this group, but they also know that a defeat today and they’re done for. This is jeopardy!
Kick-off: 5pm BST
Updated
