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Match time and location: July 3 at 22:00, at the "Stade de France" stadium. The match will be broadcast live on the LRT channel.
Teams' path in the tournament: The French national team won the battles in Group A with seven points. In the quarterfinals, the French conceded the first goal but scored twice to win 2-1 against Ireland. Playing in Group F, Iceland's national team collected five points and finished second behind Hungary. In the quarterfinals, their match scenario was similar to the French: they also conceded the first goal against England but responded with two goals to secure victory.
Latest news from team camps: Two players in the French national team will miss the match due to disqualifications. N`Golo Kante and Adil Rami earned their second yellow cards against Ireland and will not be available for their team tonight. It is unclear if the young Kingsley Coman, who suffered an injury in the last game, will make it for this match. Iceland received great news ahead of this match - team captain Aron Gunnarsson returned to training last Friday and will be able to play in today's game.
Coaches' comments: Didier Deschamps (France): "The players know that Iceland did not make it here by luck. They are here because they deserve it and are a quality team. Their long throws are as dangerous as penalties, and we will have to deal with that. But do not underestimate them and talk only about long throws. They are capable of playing a positional game. Iceland deserved the victory against England, and they made it to the next stage by showing quality play. Physically, they are very strong, and we will have to fight for the balls. We cannot make our players taller. But I have players who can fight in the air. We must be aggressive and beware of the opponents' weapons. One team starts the match well, and they end it poorly, in my opinion, it's better to make things happen the opposite way. When I see that the team is not playing as I want, I make changes - in the last match, I subbed Coman out in the 35th minute." Lars Lagerback (Iceland): "I always tell players and journalists that there is always a realistic chance in football. I think France are the favorites, but I wouldn't call them huge favorites. Our main focus will be to go out there and believe that we can beat them. If we have that mindset, we can cause them problems. Our players will enjoy the match, but at the same time, they will be focused and play a good game. Not every time you have the chance to reach the semi-finals, so motivation will not be lacking for us. With what I hear from Iceland and the support we have here, I understand that this is a very significant event. Almost all of the country's residents watch the competition on TV or gather together in front of big screens. It would be fantastic for them to get a reward and punish the favorites again, so that our fans can continue to feel the joy they receive when we play well."
Teams' statistics in the tournament (per game): Goals: France 1.5 - 1.5 Iceland Shots on goal: France 18 - 7.25 Iceland Corners: France 7.5 - 2.5 Iceland Ball possession: France 55% - 35% Iceland Pass accuracy: France 87% - 72% Iceland Aerial duels won: France 23.75 - 22 Iceland Interceptions: France 18 - 18.25 Iceland Tackles won: France 11.75 - 14.75 Iceland Saves: France 10 - 14.25 Iceland Key matchup: Antoine Griezmann against Aron Gunnarsson While some critics argue that Deschamps does not utilize Griezmann's best qualities by placing him more on the wing, the Frenchman has already scored three goals, and his performance in the match against Ireland showed that he alone can determine the outcome. Iceland showcases exemplary defense, and the leader of French attacks will have to look for his chances in this match once again. On the other hand, in the Iceland camp, Gunnarsson faces a tough task. The Cardiff City defender has coped well with his defensive responsibilities in this tournament and contributed to the team's attacks, but today he faces, for now, the biggest challenge in the tournament. In every match, the captain of the Iceland team has been the one to lead by example with excellent play, and this match should not be an exception. Predicted lineups: France: Lloris; Sagna, Koscielny, Umtiti, Evra; Pogba, Cabaye, Matuidi; Griezmann, Giroud, Payet. Iceland: Halldórsson; Sævarsson, Árnason, R Sigurdsson, Skúlason; Gudmundsson, Gunnarsson, G Sigurdsson, B Bjarnason; Bödvarsson, Sigthórsson. Specialists' predictions: Reymundo Tomayo ("Yibada"): "The French team will be the clear favorite in this match, and the tournament hosts should be the ones to end Iceland's incredible journey in these championships. France 3 - 1 Iceland." Paul Merson ("Sky Sports"): "I predicted that France would win this game, but so far, they have not looked great. If Ireland had rested for a week instead of three days, they would likely have held on to their lead and advanced to the next stage. I feel sorry for the Irish because three days are not enough time to recover in such a championship. The French team has been disappointing in this tournament, and they cannot afford to fall behind Iceland 0-1. They will be without Rami and Kante and will have to fear Iceland's weapons - long throws and set-piece situations. It will be a tough and gritty match. However, the hosts should secure the win. France 1 - 0 Iceland." Gianluca Filosi ("Outside 90"): "In this game, all responsibility will fall on the French side. The hosts will dictate the pace of the match and control the ball, but breaking down organized defense will be very difficult for them. The visitors will look for their chances on counterattacks and long throws, just as they did against Portugal, Austria, and England. Taking another step for Iceland may be too tough, especially considering that the French are constantly improving their game. France 2 - 1 Iceland." Interesting facts: The Iceland national team has never beaten France in 11 matches (3 draws, 8 losses). In their last encounter in 2012, Iceland took a 2-0 lead, but ended up losing the match 3-2; There have been 10 goals scored in the last two encounters between these teams, and both matches ended in a 3-2 win for France; France's national team has not lost at home in 16 consecutive matches in European or World Championships (14 wins, 2 draws); Both goals that France conceded in this tournament were scored from penalties; In this championship, France allowed only three shots on their goal to opponents. This is the best result among all teams; In the first four matches, Iceland made 44 fewer shots than France, but scored the same number of goals - 6; Playing in their first final stage of the European Championship, Iceland has not lost yet (2 wins, 2 draws); In every match in the tournament, Iceland has scored at least one goal each time; All the goals scored by Iceland have been scored by different players; In all four matches, Iceland has fielded the same eleven players from the start of the game; Antoine Griezmann has scored three of France's last four goals, but he has yet to score a goal playing at the "Stade de France" stadium in 603 minutes; Griezmann is also the first player since Zinedine Zidane in 2004 to score at least three goals while wearing the French jersey at the European Championship; Iceland's national team has the lowest ball possession rate in this tournament.
