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The 2016 UEFA European Championships is being played across France from June 10 to July 10 for the first time with 24 nations across 10 venues in nine cities with the French capital Paris being the only city with two venues in the Stade de France and the Park de Prince.
The defending double champions are Spain, who are three time record champions along with Germany.
QUARTERFINAL MATCH #4
FRANCE 5-2 (4-0) ICELAND
Goal(s): 1-0 Olivier Giroud (12′), 2-0 Paul Pogba (20′), 3-0 Dimitri Payet (43′), 4-0 Antoine Griezmann (45′), 4-1 Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (56′), 5-1 Olivier Giroud (59′), 5-2 Birkir Bjarnason (84′)
Hosts France trashed Iceland 5-2 in an entertaining encounter at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and move into the semifinals were they will face old rivals Germany on Thursday in Marseille.
Iceland did have the first chance of the game through Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 3rd minute but thereafter France got a grip of the game as Matuidi played a through ball to Olivier Giroud on the left and his angled shot went into the net in the 12nd minute to cool French nerves.
But Iceland wasn’t shocked but two quick chances for them was denied by France captain Hugo Lloris in goal before Paul Pogba headed in France’s second goal in the 20th off a Antoine Griezmann corner. France now took the gas of the pendle and they continued to give Iceland chances but his time Bödvarsson missed the target before France finished of the first half with two quick goals, first Dimitri Payet made a placed long range effort in the 43rd minute before Griezmann made into 4-0 on the stroke of half time.
After the break France continued to have more of the ball, but credit to Iceland who didn’t want to go out without at least a small fight as they reduced the deficit in the 56th minute through Kolbeinn Sigthorsson off a pass from Gylfi Sigurdsson. But France didn’t want to allow any tension to arise and Giroud scored his second of the night only three minutes later to make it 5-1.
France now again slowed down and Iceland again got their chances but the substitutes Finnbogason (61′) and Ingason (63′) both wasted good chances before Birkir Bjarnason scored Iceland’s second of the night in the 84th minute. It remained 5-2 for France until the end as the host get ready for the semifinals, the fairytale run of Iceland ends in the quarterfinals but we will hopefully see more of the icelandic nordmen in future tournaments and this was only a start.
Carlsberg Man of the Match: Olivier Giroud (France) #GERITA
