England concluded their preparations for Euro 2024 with a disappointing performance, suffering defeat against Iceland at Wembley.
Manager Gareth Southgate made several changes following Monday’s victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James’ Park in Newcastle. However, he would have been deeply disappointed by the lackluster display.
Iceland, famously victorious over England at Euro 2016, capitalized on poor defending, with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, replacing Jordan Pickford, perhaps should have done better against Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson’s low shot in the 12th minute.
England’s star striker Harry Kane missed a clear opportunity, while Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, one of the standout performers, also had chances. Nevertheless, Southgate’s side appeared rusty as they finalized plans for their opening Euro 2024 game against Serbia on June 16 in Gelsenkirchen.
Throughout the match, England looked vulnerable defensively, with Iceland also having opportunities to extend their lead after halftime.
Key defender John Stones was substituted at halftime due to an early heavy knock. Southgate will be anxiously awaiting updates on Stones’ condition, especially with regular defensive partner Harry Maguire ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
If this match was intended as a morale-boosting send-off for Southgate and his squad before heading to Germany, it clearly did not go according to plan.
England’s defeat to the 72nd-ranked team in the FIFA rankings was met with loud jeers from the fans, reflecting the poor performance on the pitch.
If Southgate was seeking any positive signs for his Euro 2024 starting lineup, they were few and far between. Despite some bright moments from Palmer and flashes of brilliance from Anthony Gordon, England struggled to apply sustained pressure and managed just one shot on target.
While Iceland had opportunities to further exploit England’s weaknesses in the second half, they couldn’t capitalize.
Despite this being a preparatory match, losing to a team like Iceland, particularly at Wembley, does little to inspire confidence.
England’s players acknowledged the fans with a lap of appreciation at the final whistle, but the sparse crowd inside Wembley was indicative of the lackluster performance.
Southgate will hope that this defeat helped shake off any remaining rust, but it certainly wasn’t the ideal preparation for Euro 2024.