EURO 2025 got underway this evening in Switzerland as Iceland were defeated 1-0 by Finland in an unpredictable clash.
A goalless first-half saw Finland approach the opening fixture of the UEFA Women’s European Championship 2025 with an attacking-minded approach, whilst Iceland bided their time.
Katarina Kosola had piled the pressure onto Iceland throughout this battle, and in the 70th minute her efforts finally came to fruition with the help of a lacklustre 10-player Iceland turnover and a stellar assist from Eveliina Summanen.
The Lineups
ISL: Rúnarsdóttir; Árnadottir, Viggosdottir, Sigurdadottir, Arnadottir; Johannsdottir, Vilhjámsdottir, Antonsdottir; Eriksdottir, Jonsdottir, Jessen
FIN: Koivunen; Koivisto, Kuikka, Nyström, Tynnilä; Kosola, Öling, Summanen, Siren; Sällström, Franssi
The Action
Despite a decent start for Iceland, it was Finland who had the better early chance when Ria Öling hit an effort that was stopped by Cecilia Rán Rúnarsdóttir. Kosola’s right-footed attempt was just over the crossbar with almost 15 minutes on the clock, as Marko Saloranta’s side continued knocking on the door of their Icelandic opposition.
Kosola tried her luck again, forcing a brilliant save from Rúnarsdóttir to keep the scoreline 0-0. Thorsteinn Halldórsson’s side were doing enough to maintain possession, but have difficulty creating chances to counter Finland’s attack.
Finland’s third shot on target of the evening was saved by Rúnarsdóttir, but Iceland were finding it hard to answer their questions. A perfectly-timed sliding challenge from Emma Koivisto denied Jonsdottir as Iceland embarked on their first successful fast-break late in the opening half.
Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir’s long throw in proved a problem for Helmarit, with a double-save by Anna Koivunen required to prevent an Iceland opener. The unpredictable nature of this Group A meeting continued.
Hildur Antonsdottir saw red when she was sent off for a bad challenge on Summanen not long after picking up a yellow, and it was downhill from there for Iceland.
The opening goal of EURO 2025 finally came deservedly for Finland from Kosola. Iceland gave the ball away clumsily for Summanen to put it through, and Kosola calmly fired her strike beyond the reach of the goalkeeper to put Helmarit in front. It was a relatively poor goal to concede for the Iceland defence, but seemingly an inevitable one.
Whilst Stelpurnar okkar played with grit for the remainder of this exciting opening clash, they could not find their way to an equaliser despite testing Koivunen multiple times in the dying minutes in Thun.
Iceland Player Ratings
Cecilia Rán Rúnarsdóttir – 7/10 – Looked shaky in the early stages but seemed to find her feet quickly and made some good saves.
Gudny Árnadottir – 6/10 – Did well to deal with the ongoing threat of Finland’s forwards for the most part, communicating well with her backline.
Glodis Perla Viggosdottir – 5/10 – Seemed to be battling with a niggle from the get-go which was a hindrance. Came off at half-time.
Ingibjörg Sigurdadottir – 7/10 – Struggled to keep hold of possession in the beginning but grew to be integral to the cohesion of the Iceland team. A very good display when higher up the pitch.
Gudrun Arnadottir – 6/10 – Strong at the back to help handle a relentless press from Finland, but the defence as a whole was caught out eventually.
Alexandra Johannsdottir – 7/10 – Making up for others’ mistakes at the back. A key player despite a difficult opening game.
Karolina Lea Vilhjámsdottir – 6/10 – Overlapping down the right-hand side really well towards the end of the first half. Very much at the heart of what this squad are trying to to.
Hildur Antonsdottir – 2/10 – Quiet opening. Went into the book early in the second half, picking up a sacrificial yellow card as the Finnish threatened. Sent off for a bad challenge on Summanen in quick succession.
Hlin Eriksdottir – 4/10 – Appeared quite erratic in the first half. Taken off early in the second half.
Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir – 7/10 – No denying her calibre, but she lacked the service to make any more of a difference in the first half. Long throws a real asset and came close to creating an opening goal on more than one occasion.
Sandra Maria Jessen – 5/10 – Struggled to get into the game during the opening half. Substituted off on the hour.
Substitutes
Sædis Heidarsdottir – 6/10 – Came on at half-time.
Agla María Albertsdottir – 6/10 – Came on shortly into the second half.
Dagný Brynjarsdóttir – 7/10 – Came on in the 60th minute. Probably the most impactful substitute but it wasn’t enough.
Katla Tryggvadóttir – N/A – Not enough minutes to make a fair judgment, but definitely showed her attacking prowess.
Finland Player Ratings
Anna Koivunen – 7/10 – Another who looked a bit clumsy to start with, but didn’t have too much to do in the first-half. Had a much better second-half.
Emma Koivisto – 8/10 – Quick to make important challenges to nullify Iceland’s attacking threat. Got involved up high from the offset, causing major issues for Iceland’s backline. Defensively crucial. Off in the 78th minute.
Natalie Kuikka – 7/10 – A solid defensive display and a good leadership performance.
Eva Nyström – 6/10 – Picked up a yellow card in the third minute, but mellowed throughout.
Joanna Tynnilä – 7/10 – Another no-nonsense display which ensured Helmarit secured three points.
Katariina Kosola – 9/10 – Finland’s strongest attacking outlet in the opening half. Dominating the left wing, embodying Finland’s energy. Scored the opener in the 71st minute in quite some fashion.
Ria Öling – 7/10 – Looked likely to take her chances early on, her work rate is impressive.
Eveliina Summanen – 8/10 – Resilience crucial and always looks threatening with the ball at her feet. Provided a stellar assist for Kosola’s goal.
Oona Siren – 6/10 – Not her most impactful game, but not a poor performance by any means.
Linda Sällström – 7/10 – A no-nonsense performance from an experienced captain. Off in the 78th minute.
Sanni Franssi – 6/10 – Shows good drive and composure on the ball. Came off in the 66th minute.
Substitutes
Oona Sevenius – 6/10 – Came on in the 66th minute. Did not make a huge impact but was not sub-par either.
Nea Lehtola – N/A – Not enough minutes to make a fair judgement.
Jutta Rantala – N/A – Not enough minutes to make a fair judgement.
Maaria Roth – N/A – Not enough minutes to make a fair judgement.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Emma Koivisto
Defensively and offensively, this is a player whose difference was paramount to Finland’s hard-earned victory tonight. A win that has been a long time coming.
You can read all of the latest news, analysis and opinion at Euro 2025 on The Halfway Line.
