England marked their 500th international match with a 1-0 win over Iceland, but struggled after a dominant first half in Reykjavik.
In the end, Alessia Russo’s first-half goal was enough, but Iceland came close to a dramatic equalizer late on.
England took control from the start and quickly pushed Iceland back, with much of their threat coming from the right. The breakthrough came from a sharp counter-attack, with Lauren Hemp moving forward and passing Russo, who confidently slotted into the bottom corner of the goal.
The visitors dominated the first half, with Iceland largely limited to set-pieces, with Hannah Hampton barely being tested.
Saidis Heydarsdóttir gets pressure from Lauren Hemp
However, the momentum changed after the break. Iceland grew into their game and started asking more questions, especially through long throws and direct play into England’s box.
England struggled to regain the same level of initiative but were lucky not to concede late on in any notable moments. The ball crossed the goal and hit the post, but Hampton reacted brilliantly to deny the chase.
This was a red flag for the Lionesses, who had chances to extend their lead but were unable to score the second goal to end the game.
In the end, Sarina Wiegmann’s side maintained their perfect start and remained top of Group A3, but it was far from the comfortable victory that had been expected at half-time.
Wiegman: A very difficult game
“It was a very tough game. There was a big difference between the first half and the second half,” she told ITV.
“The tempo could have been a little faster. We created some chances but couldn’t convert them into big chances. It was a good goal.”
“In the second half they pressed a bit high so we had to make better decisions, especially in this situation, and we struggled.
“We know they are good at throw-ins and corners and we defended that really well.
“It was a very tough battle, but we were able to get over the line. That’s the most important thing.”
Hampton: A nerve-wracking ending
“It was a nerve-wracking stretch at the end. I knew my opponent was going to put more of his body forward and make it harder, but we won and that’s the most important thing,” she told ITV.
“It’s my job to make the saves, but it’s a team effort. We’re proud of it. We won together. Alessia (Russo) had a great finish on one end, but I had to do my job on the other end.”
“We wanted to control the game a little bit better, but we know how dangerous it can be, especially on set pieces and balls into the box. We had to be solid and I think we did that.”
“We wanted to get six points from these two games, and we achieved that, so we will go into the next camp with a really positive mindset.”
Late chance for Iceland
Sky Sports’ Sam Cohen provides the following analysis:
“Iceland will regret missing out on chances late on. After a quiet first half, Iceland grew into the game and put England under a lot of pressure in the final stages.”
“Long throws caused repeated problems and created the moments they needed. Johansdottir was denied twice by Hampton, but Hampton stood firm when it mattered most.”
“On another day, one of those chances would have found the back of the net and changed the result. If anything, it just makes you wonder why Iceland didn’t get something out of this game.”
