Result: Iceland 0-1 England
Date: 05 September 2020
Venue: Laugardalsvollur Stadium
England began their Nations League campaign on a positive note with a 1-0 victory over Iceland at Laugardalsvollur on Saturday.
The Three Lions did have their first shot on target in the fourth minute. Jadon Sancho got down the right, slipped the ball inside for Harry Kane, and as he got the ball out of his feet, he had a crack at goal but it was straight down the goalkeeper's throat.
Kane had a goal controversially ruled out in the seventh minute and without VAR it could not be reviewed. Declan Rice then had a gilt-edged opportunity to give England the lead. Sancho got to the byline on the right, cut it back for the West Ham man, and he was six yards out unmarked but he swiped clean air.
Despite having an overwhelming 81 percent of the possession, Gareth Southgate's men went in to the interval frustrated and locked at 0-0 with the Euro 2016 quarterfinalists.
Rice missed another good opportunity seven minutes after the interval after Kyle Walker did brilliant work along with Kane to set up the West Ham midfielder.
England's job was made much more difficult in the 71st minute when Walker was sent off for picking up his second yellow card of the game.
Despite going down to ten men, the GamePlan was still the same for England as they continued to flood men forward in search of an opening and eventually, they would break the deadlock in the 89th minute.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner found Raheem Sterling at the back post, and his shot struck the arm of Sverrir Ingi Ingason, who was duly sent off for a second yellow. Sterling stepped up and rolled it down the middle as the keeper went left.
There was more drama to come in the third minute of injury time as Joe Gomez grappled with Johann Berg Gudmundsson just inside the box from a long ball, with the referee pointing to the penalty spot.
Up stepped former Aston Villa man Birkir Bjarnason, who hit it high and wide of the goal as England escaped to come away with the three points.
