Bergamaschi’s strike denies Iceland and salvages precious point for Italy

“This is a European Championship of suffering for us,” Italy’s head coach, Milena Bertolini, said after her team picked up their first point. Iceland feel they share the Italians’ pain after drawing their opening two games under the east Manchester sunshine.

Both teams had chances to win, the best falling to Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir late on but she shot wide from close range with the goal gaping to give Italy hope of qualifying from the group after their thrashing against France last time out. Vilhjálmsdóttir had opened the scoring but her goal was cancelled out by Valentina Bergamaschi.

After conceding five goals against France, Italy’s defence looked nervous and it cost them in the third minute. Poor defending of set-pieces has been a theme throughout the tournament and Italy were the latest to pay the price when they failed to deal with Sveindís Jónsdóttir’s long throw-in, which was struck into the top corner on the half volley by Vilhjálmsdóttir from inside the area to the backdrop of an Icelandic roar.

An inability to deal with a corner soon after almost brought the second when pinball ensued after two defensive clearances went up rather than out but Vilhjálmsdóttir sent her shot wide on the spin.

Another poor piece of defensive play just after the hour should have resulted in a second when a free-kick from the right was allowed to trickle along the six-yard line to the feet of the substitute Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir but she failed to compose herself, despite being unmarked, and jabbed wide.

It was an error Iceland paid for moments later when fine wing play on the left by Barbara Bonansea created panic at the opposite end for once and a roaming Bergamaschi found space 10 yards out and kept calm to sidefoot home.