Women's EURO 2022: Italy vs Iceland match facts, stats, ones to watch

Italy vs Iceland: Head-to-head

• Italy and Iceland are pitted together in competitive action for the first time in 20 years on Matchday 2 of UEFA Women's EURO Group D at the Manchester City Academy Stadium.
• Italy must regroup from their 5-1 loss to France in Rotherham, a result that equalled their heaviest margin of defeat at a Women's EURO finals. In the process, the Azzurre became the first side ever at the tournament to concede five goals in a half.
• Iceland had to settle for a point against Belgium at the Manchester City Academy Stadium, despite taking the lead via a 50th-minute header from Berglind Thorvaldsdóttir, who had had a first-half penalty saved by Nicky Evrard. Belgium drew level via a penalty themselves 17 minutes later, Justine Vanhaevermaet converting after Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir had fouled Elena Dhont.
• These sides booked their places at the tournament as two of the best three runners-up in the qualification campaign, along with Austria.
• The nations are facing each other for the first time since April 2021, when they played two friendlies in Florence across four days.
• The nations drew 1-1 in their last encounter, Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir's 40th-minute long-range strike for Iceland cancelling out Valentina Giacinti's first-minute opener.
• Italy had won 1-0 in the first match of the double-header three days earlier, Arianna Caruso hitting a 70th-minute winner.
• The Azzurre have won two of their last three fixtures with Iceland, who they also beat 2-1 in a friendly tournament in Portugal in March 2007. Patrizia Panico struck a 90th-minute winner after Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir's penalty had cancelled out Pamela Conti's opener for Italy.
• Italy are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Iceland (W2 D2).
• This is the first competitive fixture between the countries since a goalless draw in a 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier in Arzachena in June 2002.
• Iceland's only victory against the Azzurre was a 2-1 win earlier in that 2003 World Cup qualification campaign, in Reykjavik in September 2001. Olga Færseth struck in each half before Ásthildur Helgadóttir's late own goal.
• Italy's sole success in their four competitive encounters against Iceland came in June 2000, a 1-0 success in Urbino in EURO 2001 qualifying. The sides had shared a goalless draw in Reykjavik in September 1999.
• This is Italy's 12th EURO appearance, a joint record with Norway.
• Italy's best performance in the competition came when they were runners-up in 1993 and 1997, either side of their only failure to qualify for the tournament in 1995.
• In 1993, as hosts, they were beaten by Norway in Cesena, Birthe Hegstad hitting the 75th-minute winner. Four years later they lost 2-0 in the decider to Germany, Sandra Minnert and Birgit Prinz scoring in Oslo.
• Italy have suffered a group stage exit in three of the last five tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals in 2009 and 2013.
• Iceland are at their fourth EURO tournament. They finished bottom of their group in 2009 and 2017 either side of reaching the quarter-finals in 2013, when they were eliminated by hosts Sweden.
• Iceland's only win at the finals coming into the 2022 tournament was a 1-0 Matchday 3 victory against the Netherlands in 2013, giving them a last-eight spot at the expense of their opponents.
• Italy sealed their spot at EURO 2022 as one of the three best runners-up, securing 25 points from a possible 30 in Group B. The Azzurre's only loss in the campaign – 3-1 at the hands of Group B leaders Denmark in Empoli in October 2020 – was also their first home defeat for over five years.
• Iceland also made it to their fourth successive EURO finals as one of the three best second-placed sides, collecting 19 points from a possible 24 to finish as runners-up to Sweden in Group F. They dropped points only against the Blågult, drawing 1-1 in Reykjavik in September 2020 before a 2-0 away defeat the following month.
• Italy's 5-1 defeat by France on Matchday 1 was only the second time they had let in five goals at a Women's EURO, following their 5-3 loss to Norway in 2005.
• The Azzurre's four-goal margin of defeat against Les Bleues was their joint biggest at the tournament, along with a 4-0 loss to Germany in 2005.
• Italy have now lost five of their last six UEFA Women's EURO matches, conceding 15 goals, and have been beaten in 11 of their last 16 finals matches (W4 D1).
• The Azzurre have kept just three clean sheets in their 33 EURO finals games.
• Iceland's Matchday 1 draw halted a four-game losing streak at EURO and was only the third time they have avoided defeat in a finals match.
• Iceland have won just one of their 11 outings at the tournament (D2 L8).
• In that draw with Belgium, captain Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir extended her streak of having started every one of Iceland's EURO fixtures.
• Iceland have scored just five goals in their 11 EURO matches, and never more than one in a game.
• The draw with Belgium was the fourth time Iceland had opened the scoring in a EURO finals match; their record when doing so is W1 D1 L2.
• Iceland and Belgium produced the only scoreless opening 45 minutes on Matchday 1.

Ones to watch: Italy

Arianna Caruso

• The 22-year-old scored the only goal in Italy's last win against Iceland, that 1-0 friendly success in April 2021.
• The midfielder has three goals in her six appearances in qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, including two in the 7-0 victory against Lithuania on 8 April.
• Caruso made her Azzurre debut in a EURO 2022 qualifier, coming on as a substitute in the 3-2 away win against Israel in August 2019. She scored her first international goal in the return fixture in February 2021.
• Having signed for Juventus in 2017, she became the first player to reach 100 Bianconere appearances in May 2021.

Valentina Giacinti

• The 28-year-old scored in the opening minute of the last meeting between these sides, the 1-1 friendly draw in April 2021.
• The forward has struck four goals in qualifying for the 2023 World Cup; only Cristiana Girelli (eight) has scored more for the Azzurre.
• Giacinti's only previous experience of a major tournament came at the 2019 World Cup when she featured in all five of Italy's matches, scoring in the 2-0 round of 16 win against China.
• The AC Milan attacker, who spent the latter part of 2021/22 on loan at Fiorentina, finished as Serie A's top scorer for the third time in 2018/19 with 21 goals.

Daniela Sabatino

• The 37-year-old hit two goals in Italy's only victory at EURO 2017, a 3-2 group stage win against Sweden.
• Sabatino scored five times in qualifying for EURO 2022, with only Girelli (nine) hitting more for the country.
• The striker's first Azzurre goals came in a hat-trick against Macedonia in a 9-0 victory in a EURO 2013 qualifier in October 2011.
• The Fiorentina forward finished the 2021/22 campaign as the leading goalscorer in Serie A with 15 goals.

Ones to watch: Iceland

Berglind Björg Thorvaldsdóttir

• The 30-year-old has had two spells in Italy's Serie A, firstly with Verona in 2017 and most recently with Milan in 2020.
• The forward has featured in all six of Iceland's 2023 World Cup qualifiers to date, scoring in away wins in Cyprus and Belarus.
• Thorvaldsdóttir made a solitary appearance in Iceland's EURO 2017 group stage exit, coming on as a substitute in the 3-0 Matchday 3 loss against Austria.
• The attacker moved to Norwegian club football to join SK Brann in January 2022, having also represented sides in the Netherlands, France and Sweden as well as Italy and her native Iceland.

Hallbera Gudný Gísladóttir

• The 35-year-old was a runner-up in Italy's Serie A with ASD Torres in 2013/14, when she spent the second half of the campaign with the Sardinian side.
• Gísladóttir is in her third EURO squad, having been ever-present for Iceland at the 2013 and 2017 tournaments.
• Ahead of the 2022 Swedish season, the defender joined Kalmar, her fourth club in the country having previously played for Piteå, Djurgårdens and AIK.
• The left-back made her Iceland debut in March 2008 in a 2-0 friendly victory against Poland.

Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir

• The 27-year-old made her 100th Iceland appearance in the 5-0 victory against Belarus on 7 April.
• The defender was one of two Iceland players to feature in every minute of qualifying ahead of EURO 2022, along with Sandra Sigurdardóttir.
• Viggósdóttir played every minute for Iceland at EURO 2017, having appeared in three of their four matches at the tournament four years earlier.
• The centre-back moved to Bayern München ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, after six years in Sweden with Eskilstuna United and Rosengård.