Date: June 22, 2016
Result: Iceland 2 Austria 1
Scorers:
Iceland: Jón Daði Bödvarsson 17, Arnór Ingvi Traustason 90+3
Austria: Alessandro Schöpf 59
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Match overview:
Iceland score with the last kick of the game to defeat Austria 2-1 in Paris and earn a Round of 16 game against England. The dramatic winning goal ensured England were spared a reunion with Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, who will now face Croatia in the knockout stages. Austria, tipped by many as the dark horses of Euro 2016 are out, after collecting just one point from three matches, while unfancied Hungary top the group.
On an eventful night in the Stade de France, Lars Lagerback’s side produced an immense defensive display to repel wave after wave of Austrian attacks to secure a remarkable place in the knockout stages.
Iceland led from the 17th minute when Aron Gunnarsson’s long throw was flicked on to Jón Daði Bödvarsson who reacted quicker than his marker, before sliding a low shot past the stationary Robert Almer.
Austria squandered a wonderful opportunity to equlise when Ari Skulason was penalised for holding David Alaba in the penalty area, but from the resulting spot-kick Aleksandar Dragović slammed his effort against the post.
After the break it was all Austria and just before the hour mark their relentless pressure finally told. Substitute Alessandro Schöpf waltzed through the Iceland defence before shooting a low left foot shot into the corrner. From that moment on, Austria poured men forward in search of the goal that would ensure them a place in the knockout stages. But it was Iceland who would ultimately secured all three points. In the last minute of stoppage time, Elmar Bjarnason, broke down the right before picking out substitute Arnor Ingvi Traustason, who slid the ball past the prostrate Robert Almer. It was the last kick of a remarkable game.
Key moment:
Aleksandar Dragović’s missed penalty was piviotal. Had that gone in it is hard to imagine Iceland hanging on for the best part of an hour.
Man of the match:
Kari Arnason put in an immense performance in the Icelandic defence, and repeatedly put his body on the line to deny Austria. His clearance of David Alaba’s goalbound effort shortly after the interval was particularly noteworthy.
Matter of fact:
With a population of 330,000, Iceland are the smallest nation to have appeared at any major final tournament. They are now also the smallest to have reached the knockout stages – a remarkable feat.
Talking point:
Austria coach Marcel Koller started with an unfamiliar three-man defence comprising Aleksandar Dragović, Sebastian Prödl and Martin Hinteregger. It was a formation that appeared to confuse his own players more than opponents Iceland. Only when he threw extra forwards on after the break were Austria really able to establish control of the game – but by then, the damage had been done.
Stats:
Goal attempts
Iceland: 9
Austria: 23
Attempts on target
Iceland: 3
Austria: 6
Corners
Iceland: 3
Austria: 7
Line-ups:
Iceland
01 Hannes Halldórsson (G)
02 Birkir Sævarsson
06 Ragnar Sigurdsson
07 Jóhann Gudmundsson
08 Birkir Bjarnason (5 Sverrir Ingi Ingason 85′)
09 Kolbeinn Sigthórsson (21 Arnór Ingvi Traustason 79′)
10 Gylfi Sigurdsson
14 Kari Árnason
15 Jón Daði Bödvarsson (18 Theódór Elmar Bjarnason 70′)
17 Aron Gunnarsson (C)
23 Ari Freyr Skúlason
Starting formation: 4-4-2
01 Halldórsson (G) – A. Skúlason, Sævarsson, Sigurdsson, Árnason – B. Bjarnason, C A. Gunnarsson, G. Sigurdsson, Gudmundsson – Sigthórsson, Bödvarsson
Austria
01 Robert Almer (G)
03 Aleksandar Dragović
04 Martin Hinteregger
05 Christian Fuchs (C)
06 Stefan Ilsanker (21 Marc Janko 46′)
07 Marko Arnautović
08 David Alaba
14 Julian Baumgartlinger
15 Sebastian Prödl (18 Alessandro Schöpf 46′)
17 Florian Klein
20 Marcel Sabitzer (22 Jakob Jantscher 77′)
Starting formation: 3-4-3
Almer – Hinteregger, Prödl, Hinteregger – Ilsanker, Fuchs, Baumgartlinger, Klein – Alaba, Arnautović, Sabitzer
Yellow cards:
Iceland: Skulason 36, Sigthórsson 51, Árnason 77, Halldórsson 81
Austria: Janko 69
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Pol)
Attendance: 68,714
