LIVE UPDATE NIGERIA VS ICELAND
80'
PENALTY! Finnbogasson races into the box and Ebuehi clips him at the
byline! The referee doesn't give it initially, but following a VAR
check, the referee points to the spot!
78' Iceland lok a little shellshocked. They're still pushing forward to try and get something from this game, though.
75'
Omeruo played a long ball down the line, and Musa had a great deal to
do from there, but he showed incredible pace and composure to pull it
off!
75'
GOAL!!!! MUSA STRIKES AGAIN! NIGERIA GO 2-0 UP! Musa races down the
left and beats his man for pace, before cutting inside him and then
rounding the charging goalkeeper, then picking his spot and rifling it
into the top corner!
74'
CROSSBAR! Musa rattles the crossbar with a wicked, curling strike that
fools the goalkeeper into comitting to his left while the strike comes
back into the middle, but it clatters back off the bar!
71'
Bodvarsson comes off for Sigurdarson in a like-for-like change up front
by Hallgrimsson, who looks to inspire his side to an equaliser.
70' MISS! Troost-Ekong throws himself at a cross from the right, but he can only head wide from a difficult angle.
69'
Ingason shows great bravery to come out and block a powerful Etebo
strike from outside the box. The midfielder had all the time in the
world there to line up his strike.
67'
MISS! Gislason has had some joy coming inside off the right, and he
works some space well in the middle here before blasting an effort high
over the bar from the edge of the box.
65' Ragnar Sigurdsson eventually is forced off, with Ingason taking his place at centre-back.
63'
Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick is disappointing, however. He elects to
clip the ball into the box instead of shooting, and it's an easy catch
for Uzoho.
62'
Ndidi clatters into Gislason, who had come inside off the right,
culling a dangerous attack. He somehow escapes without a booking,
however.
61'
CHANCE! Moses drives to the edge of the box and slips a ball inside for
Musa, who is allowed to turn and tries to pick out Iheanacho, but it's
cut out! Slick play form Nigeria inside the box there.
59'
The Iceland supporters begin their famous clap again, trying to lift
their team as they pile forward for a corner. What a noise they're
making!
57'
SAVE! Ndidi smacks a fantastic, dipping strike from the edge of the box
that takes a little deflection on its way through, but Halldorsson does
really well to tip it over the bar!
56'
Iceland try to claim handball as the ball skips up off the turf and
clips the elbow of Omeruo, but the referee isn't interested.
55'
They lump it forward as they start to pin Nigeria back, but there's not
enough creativity in their passing to unlock the door.
53' Iceland look to muster a response as they start to commit men forward, but this was certainly not their gameplan.
51'
Ragnar Sigurdsson is down in the aftermath of that goal, having
collided with Musa following his excellent strike. He emerges with a
bandage around his head, and potential substitute Ingason takes his seat
again.
49'
Moses used his pace well to break from an Iceland long throw, dragging
his side up the pitch and crossing for Musa to thump home emphatically.
49'
GOAL!!!! NIGERIA MAKE THE BREAKTHROUGH! It's 1-0 here as Musa finishes
off a quick counter-attack in some style, controlling Moses' cross and
rifling home a thunderbolt of a strike from inside the box! Game on!
48'
Iceland did not register a single shot on target in the second half of
their 1-1 draw against Argentina. They will want a win here though, so
don't expect to see a repeat of that.
48' The game looks a little more open so far at the start of this half, with both sides attempting a few more forwards passes.
46' Idowu, who was booked in the first half, is replaced by Ebuehi as Rohr looks to spark his side into life.
46' And we're back underway for the start of the second half! Can either side grab a decisive goal?
Nigeria need to bring someone on to help them make more of their
possession and link midfield to attack - perhaps Iwobi will be
introduced for one of the three holding midfield players they are
currently employing. Iceland are just about on top, but need to convert
one of their half-chances. If they score first, you fancy them to hold
onto their advantage and see the game out.
After a couple of early chances for Gylfi Sigurdsson forced decent
saves out of Uzoho, the game tightened up a bit, with lots of meanigless
possession for Nigeria as Iceland sat deep and tried to hit on the
break. Nigeria hardly created anything of note, while their opponents
looked dangerous from crosses, but were just unable to make a
breakthrough.
45' + 2' HALF-TIME: NIGERIA 0-0 ICELAND
45' + 2'
CHANCE! A dangerous right-wing cross forces an Iceland corner, before
Bodvarsson heads wide from the back post! It looked like he was trying
to pick a man out rather than scoring there, but it just drifted out.
45'
CHANCE! Sigurdsson's resulting free-kick delivery is outstanding, but
Finnbogasson just can't quite connect with it and it glances just wide
of the goal! Best chance of the half.
44' Bodvarsson gets to a flick on first, before Idowi clatters into him and brings it down, picking up a yellow card.
42'
There's an awkward ball for Halldorsson to deal with as Musa breathes
down his neck, but the forward gets a little too eager to prevent the
ball running out of play and barges the Icelandic keeper over, conceding
a free-kick.
41'
CHANCE! Bjarnasson gets to the byline and pulls it back for
Finnbogasson, but it's just behind him! Good link up on the right to get
in there, but the striker didn't read the pull-back.
39'
Moses drives forward and stays on his feet well this time, but there's
limited Nigerian support in the box, and in the end a hopefull ball
forward by Musa is collected gratefully by Halldorsson.
38'
Moses goes down a little easily on the right and wins a free-kick.
Iheanacho whips it in, but it's too low and is cleared for a throw. Musa
tries to launch it into the box, but that, too, is defended well.
36'
CHANCE! A deep cross to the back post from the right sails towards
Bodvarsson and Bjarnasson, but they get in each other's way and it goes
out for a throw!
34'
Gislason tries a darting run infield from the right with the ball at
his feet, but he's muscled off it on the edge of the box, and is furious
not to be awarded a free-kick.
32'
Nigeria have settled into their usual pattern of play so far in this
game. Iceland have two up and the rest have retreated into their half in
two, compact banks of four, while Nigeria play the ball around just
inside their own half as the three central defenders and Mikel outnumber
the two Icelandic strikers.
30'
Bodvarsson wins the ball high up the pitch, but he can't find a
penetrating pass to make the most of it and the move slows down,
allowing Nigeria to get back and regroup.
28'
The game has taken on something of a pedestrian pace as Nigeria advance
with the ball, but it's all around the halfway line again and not in a
threatening position.
26'
There's the suggsestion that Iceland are perhaps struggling with the
heat here, and they've certainly not been their usual, energetic selves
thus far.
24' Iceland lump it forward from a free-kick just outside the centre-circle, but it's headed confidently away by Omeruo.
22'
Iceland are piling on the pressure, testing Uzoho again and winning a
corner, but they just can't quite make the pressure count as Nigeria win
a free-kick and momentarily alleviate the danger.
21'
Uzoho is called into action again as he rises highest to tip away a
right-wing cross, before Bjarnasson smashes a volley at Moses, who goes
down in a heap.
20' Gylfi Sigurdsson produces a lovely turn in midfield, beating Etebo with ease. That was a quality piece of skill there.
19' Moses drives inside into some rare space and tries to link up with Iheanacho, but his pass is just behind his man.
17'
Nigeria try a long throw as they push Iceland all the way back into
their own penalty box, but it's just a little too short and it's headed
emphatically away.
15'
Iceland have their own spell of penning Nigeria in, but they can't find
a way through either. They're cancelling each other out at the moment.
13'
Iceland get out as they win a throw-in, forcing Nigeria to retreat into
their own shell. These two sides are both looking to sit deep off the
ball and break quickly on it.
11'
Nigeria growing into the game here after a flurry of early chances for
Iceland, but they're still struggling to break their opponents down and
create any meaningful openings.
9'
Nigeria have a spell of possession, but it's all in front of their
opponents and there's no penetration in their passing. Iceland are more
than happy to sit in and absorb pressure.
7'
Iheanacho goes out to take an inswinging corner from the right with his
left foot. Interesting decision to have a striker take a corner, but
it's a good delivery from the Leicester City man. It's well dealt with
in the middle though.
6'
SAVE! Gylfi Sigurdsson is played into space on the edge of the box and
tries to place a shot into the bottom-right corner, but Uzoho gets down
well and holds the shot. He's been a busy man early on here.
4' Uzoho then comes to to collect confidently from the resulting corner. He looks to be on his toes so far.
3'
SAVE! Iceland win a promising free-kick in a central area 25 yards or
so from goal. Gylfi Sigurdsson whips it towards the top-left corner, but
Uzoho reads it well and tips the effort behind.
1' And we're underway! Nigeria kick us off for the start of the first half!
World Cup debutants Iceland, however, have lost just one of their six matches in major tournaments (W2 D3 L1).
However, the Super Eagles will have to improve on their recent
history, having won just one of their last 13 games at the World Cup (W1
D3 L9), losing their last three, with that solitary victory coming
against Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014.
Meanwhile, Nigeria need a win to realistically have any hope of
progressing from the group, while a defeat would make them the third
African side to be eliminated from the tournament.
Iceland have the chance to all but secure qualification from the group
with a win here, which would leave Argentina requiring goal difference
and an Iceland defeat against Croatia to leapfrog them in the table.
There has only been one previous meeting between Nigeria and Iceland,
with the latter winning 3-0 in a friendly in August 1981.
Iceland are without Johan Berg Gudmundsson after he tore his calf
muscle in their inspiring 1-1 draw against Argentina. He has been
replaced by Gislason in the side, while Hallfredsson also drops to the
bench as Heimir Hallgrimsson opts for two up top today, bringing in
Bodvarsson and dropping Gylfi Sugurdsson into central midfield.
Gernot Rohr has made three bold changes to the side that lost 2-0 to
Croatia in their opening fixture, dropping Ighalo, Iwobi and Shehu for
Iheanacho, Musa and Omeruo, and changing to a back three.
Iceland substitutes: Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Bjorn Sigurdarson, Olafur
Ingi Skulason, Runar Alex Runarsson, Samuel Kari Fridjonsson, Arnor
Ingvi Traustason, Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson, Emil Hallfredsson, Albert
Gudmundsson, Ari Freyr Skulason, Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Frederik Schram
Iceland XI (4-4-2): Hannes Thor Halldorsson; Hordur Bjorgvin
Magnusson, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Kari Arnason, Birkir Mar
Saevarsson; Birkir Bjarnason, Aron Gunnarsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Rurik
Gislason; Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Alfred Finnbogason
Nigeria substitutes: Elderson Echiejile, Simy, Ogenyi Onazi, Tyronne
Ebuehi, Joel Obi, Daniel Akpeyi, Odion Ighalo, John Ogu, Abdullahi
Shehu, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Alex Iwobi, Chidozie Awaziem
Nigeria XI (3-5-2): Francis Uzoho; Kenneth Omeruo, William
Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun; Brian Idowu, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Obi
Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Moses; Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho
The line-ups have been announced, and we'll start with Nigeria.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Group D clash between Nigeria and Iceland at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.