Denmark dash home hopes

Denmark set up the prospect of a mouthwatering Group A decider against Norway on Monday by ending Iceland's hopes with a 2-1 victory in Kopavogur.

Nightmare start
After their demoralising 5-0 defeat by the Norwegians on Wednesday, the hosts would have been hoping to set out their stall here but instead got off to the worst of starts. Katrine Veje gave Denmark the lead inside two minutes, forcing the ball home from close range. Emma Madsen doubled the advantage from the penalty spot on the cusp of half-time and although Fanndis Fridriksdóttir reduced arrears soon after the break, an equaliser proved elusive.

Hosts revived
The close finish had looked unlikely once Veje gave Henrik Lehm's side the perfect opening, which almost got even better when the same player cut in from left and let fly a rising shot that Petra Lind Sigurdardóttir did well to collect. Iceland slowly gained a foothold, however, getting numbers behind the ball as industry became their modus operandi. This was apparent when winger Guðný Björk Ódinsdóttir tracked back to dispossess Charlotte Sørensen as the Denmark No5 set herself to shoot, although Iceland's approach still placed much of the attacking responsibility on lone striker Rakel Hönnudóttir.

Last-ditch defending
The 18-year-old rose to the challenge. She nearly restored parity midway through the half when springing the offside trap but could not get a shot away; next her testing cross almost forced Sanne Troelsgaard to put into her own net. A second Denmark goal always loomed, though. It took a brilliantly timed sliding challenge from Agnes Árnadóttir to stop Veje in her tracks as she raced into the area and only similar heroics from Kristrún Kristjánsdóttir denied Sørensen. The pressure finally told in first-half injury time when Madsen made it 2-0, picking herself up after being brought down by Gudrún Erla Hilmarsdóttir and firing into the top corner.

Sending-off
Iceland had already lost Anna Thórunn Gudmundsdóttir to injury and started the second half without Hilmarsdóttir yet they were soon on the offensive. Their reward came seven minutes after the restart when a low Fridriksdóttir shot squirmed inside the near post. However, the 62nd-minute sending-off of Hönnudóttir, for a game-ending challenge on Veje who was carried off, badly hindered the team coached by Ólafur Thór Gudbjörnsson. Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir had an attempt deflected centimetres wide but Denmark held on. They now have a winner-takes-all final group match against Norway on Monday, when Iceland play section winners Germany.