Having defended so admirably against England, Iceland was 2-0 down inside 20 minutes through two of the oldest and simplest tricks in the soccer playbook.
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But in the end they were clearly outclassed by a for once united French side, every player at their best, notably striker Olivier Giroud who netted two goals and set up a third.
“If I wasn’t here I would probably want to be back home watching the games with the fans”.
Didier Deschamps’ men will take on Germany in Marseille on Thursday for a place in the final, while Iceland will return home as heroes after a remarkable run in their first appearance at a major tournament.
“We’re very pleased with our performance tonight”.
“We’re going to really go for it against the best side in the world”.
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson believes that his charges have not yet fully grasped the magnitude of what they achieved at Euro 2016.
The Arsenal forward stressed: “We have a lot of desire to try and get our own back for what happened in the World Cup [a 1-0 quarter-final defeat in 2014]”.
France winning the Euro 2016 is a higher possibility now because the team is extremely confident and playing together.
Worse was to come for the Icelanders with quick-fire goals inside two minutes before halftime.
“But after this experience we want to be back in fantastic finals”.
“But it’s true that in global competition, along with Euro 2012 and the World Cup in Brazil, it’s perhaps my best match”.
Oliver Giroud scored a brace as hosts France produced a scintillating performance in their 5-2 rout of minnows Iceland in the European Championship on Monday.
That would prove to be his last touch as he was replaced by Andre-Pierre Gignac as Iceland rallied and Lloris made a super point-blank save to deny substitute Sverrir Iingi Ingason’s header.
“He is one of the guys that took us to France and to the quarter-finals”.
The second goal was a simple corner to the far post that the soaring Pogba headed emphatically home. The long night for the visitors began in the 12th minute when Giroud ran clear to collect Blaise Matuidi’s pass before shooting through the legs of Hannes Halldórsson to kickstart a massacre at the Stade de France.
Sigthorsson, who netted Iceland’s victor against England, scored for the second game running after poking in Sigurdsson’s cross on 56 minutes.
Iceland were rewarded for their perseverance though as they grabbed a second goal when Bjarnason headed in Ari Skulason’s cross on 84 minutes.
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“Now we have gotten a taste of being at the big stage, we love it and we belong here”, said Halldorsson.
