Women´s Euros: France held to draw by Iceland, Belgium edge Italy to reach quarter-finals

France saw their perfect Euro 2022 record end in a 1-1 draw with Iceland, while Belgium beat Italy 1-0 to complete the quarter-final line-up.

Corinne Diacre’s France side are still through to the last eight as Group D winners, but missed the chance to go three wins from three in Rotherham on Monday.

Despite the loss of Marie-Antoinette Katoto to a knee injury, France seized a swift lead in the opening minute through Melvine Malard, with the PSG forward and Grace Geyoro also having goals disallowed.

That gave Iceland a modicum of hope to move into the last eight, but Dagny Brynjarsdottir’s 102nd-minute penalty – after a lengthy VAR deliberation – proved to be too little, too late.

20 – Corinne Diacre used 20 different players during the EURO 2022, a record for a French coach on a same edition of the competition (after 19 in 2009). Collective. #ISLFRA #WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/TlcfDv5M1D

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 18, 2022

It was Belgium who advanced in Manchester thanks to a Tine De Caigny finish shortly after the interval, which sends them into the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time in their history.

They will make the short trip to Leigh, where they will face much-fancied Sweden on Friday, with France in Rotherham once again to do battle with the Netherlands on Saturday.