Gylfi Sigurdsson struck nine minutes from time as Iceland got their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign back on track amid torrential rain in Albania.

Birkir Bjarnason and Edgar Çani exchanged first-half goals but it was talk of the weather at the Stadiumi Kombëtar Qemal Stafa that dominated discussions at the interval. The restart was delayed and it seemed to favour the visitors more. They gained their reward when Sigurdsson stepped up with a free-kick having been brought down just outside the box.

With the pitch so soggy much of the action took place in the air, and Iceland's opener on 19 minutes came after three headers following a throw-in. Bjarnason got the last of them, and though Samir Ujkani stopped his effort, the midfielder poked in the rebound. Albania's equaliser also had aerial origins as Alban Meha's cross was met by Çani.

After a 30-minute half-time break Iceland, who lost 1-0 to Cyprus last time out in Group E, ramped up the pressure. Tottenham Hotspur FC's Sigurdsson eventually broke through to move Lars Lagerbäck's men three points clear of their opponents.