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    Cymru vs. Iceland | 2025 UEFA Nations League – League phase – GrpB4

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        Live ReportMatch Summary

        2. Match Summary

          Craig Bellamy is enjoying his start as manager of his country, still undefeated and promoted to the top of the UEFA Nations League.

          Ahead of the match against Iceland, automatic promotion did not look likely as Türkiye were in the driving seat. However, a shock defeat in Montenegro opened the door for Bellamy’s team. 

          However, the trapdoor nearly opened for Cymru as they got off to a slow start against Iceland who made their domination count with an eighth minute goal from Andri Gudjohnsen. As things stood, Cymru were heading towards a relegation play-off. 

          It took Bellamy’s team a short while to get a foothold in the game but when they did, they never looked back. 

          Liam Cullen scored his first goal for Cymru when Neco Williams set-up Brennan Johnson to cross into the box. Cullen stole the march on his marker and headed the ball past Hakon Rafn Valdimarsson. 

          Cullen rounded off the half with another goal after the ball broke for him when Dan James saw his shot blocked by Valdimarsson. Having made sure he despatched the ball into the net, he rounded off a remarkable first half turnaround. 

          Iceland threw players forward in the second half and Cymru took advantage to hit their opponents twice more for a convincing victory. 

          Cullen was involved in the third goal as his exquisite through pass was weighted perfectly into Johnson’s path. The striker still had a lot to do under pressure from a defender but his technique was exceptional as he scored by placing the ball inside the far post. 

          Harry Wilson finished off the scoring with another rocket from outside the box after he picked up possession in midfield when Johnson was fouled. 

          With confirmation of Türkiye’s defeat in Montenegro, promotion was achieved and Cymru can look forward to being back amongst the elite of Europe in the next addition of the UEFA Nations League.

        3. Liam Cullen was voted the EE Player of the Match.

        6. Goalscorers Harry Wilson and Brennan Johnson provide their views on the win over Iceland.

        8. CYMRU ARE PROMOTED!

          Cymru will play in League A during the next edition of the UEFA Nations League after Türkiye’s lost 3-1 in Montenegro.

        9. FULL-TIME

          Cymru have won this Nations League encounter after Iceland took an early lead before two Liam Cullen goals provided the lead at half-time. Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson added to the tally for a convincing win.

        10. 89'

          Substitution

          JAMES Jordan Anthony replaces SHEEHAN Joshua Luke

        11. 89'

          Substitution

          ROBERTS Connor Richard John replaces JOHNSON Brennan

        12. 88'

          Yellow card

          THOMAS Sorba

        14. 📸 Harry Wilson enjoys scoring crackers.

        15. 84'

          Yellow card

          ÍSAK BERGMANN JOHANNESSON

        16. 80'

          Goal

          WILSON Harry

        17. 80'

          GÔL!!!! Wilson has scored Cymru’s fourth goal. Cymru are dominating now with that goal from outside the box!

        18. 76'

          Cymru are currently topping their UEFA Nations League group as Montenegro currently lead 3-1 against Türkiye.

        19. 📸 Johnson nets Cymru’s third goal.

        20. 74'

          Substitution

          DAGUR DAN THÓRHALLSSON replaces ALFONS SAMPSTED

        21. 74'

          Substitution

          WILLUM THOR WILLUMSSON replaces JÓN DAGUR THORSTEINSSON

        22. 73'

          Substitution

          THOMAS Sorba replaces JAMES Daniel Owen

        23. 72'

          Yellow card

          JÓN DAGUR THORSTEINSSON

        24. 72'

          Yellow card

          ARNÓR INGVI TRAUSTASON

        26. 68'

          Yellow card

          JAMES Daniel Owen

        27. 67'

          Yellow card

          VALGEIR FRIDRIKSSON

        28. 66'

          Goal

          JOHNSON Brennan

        29. 65'

          GÔL! Johnson runs onto a through ball from Cullen to make it 3-1.

        30. 64'

          Substitution

          ALLEN Joseph Michael replaces HARRIS Mark

        31. 61'

          It’s end to end as Iceland take advantage of a defensive slip but Thorsteinsson misses his opportunity to equalise.

        32. 60'

          Wilson breaks free and runs into the box but his shot is saved by Vildimarsson.

        33. 60'

          VAR check over. No penalty.

        34. 59'

          Cymru under pressure but they manage to get the ball away but Iceland want a penalty for handball in the box. It appears a VAR check is in progress.

        35. 59'

          Yellow card

        36. 46'

          The match is back underway as Cymru kick off the second half.

        38. Half-time

          Cymru got off to a slow start in the match as Iceland took control of the match. They went in front through Andri Gudjohnsen but a double from Liam Cullen – scoring his first goals for Cymru – have provided a half-time lead.

        39. 45' + 2'

          Goal

          CULLEN Liam Jamie

        40. 45' + 1'

          HE’S GOT ANOTHER!!! Cullen scored again! Cymru have turned it around.

        41. 45'

          Cymru seem to have found their stride as half-time approaches. Wilson weaves in and out of defenders to get a shot off but he hits the ball at the keeper.

        42. 42'

          The ball breaks into an attack for Cymru through Harris. He plays a pass to Johnson who unleashes a swerving strike. Valdimarsson makes an uncomfortable save.

        43. 41'

          As the ball comes into the Cymru box from the right, two Iceland attackers are unmarked in the box. Thankfully Cymru survive the scare.

        45. 37'

          Iceland put Cymru under pressure and Cabango is forced to head the ball off the line from a cross.

        46. Celebrating his first goal for Cymru.

        47. 33'

          Goal

          CULLEN Liam Jamie

        48. 32'

          GÔL!!!! Cullen heads Cymru level from Johnson’s cross into the box. The Red Wall loved that one.

        49. 30'

          Yellow card

          ALFONS SAMPSTED

        50. 24'

          Substitution

          MIKAEL EGILL ELLERTSSON replaces ORRI ÓSKARSSON

        51. 23'

          After keeping possession from the corner, Cullen eventually gets a shot off from outside the box but sees it collected by Valdimarsson.

        52. 22'

          Some nice combination play sees Cymru force a corner as they begin to look more dangerous.

        54. 20'

          Cymru force a corner from a free kick after Johnson was fouled. The ball was swung in to the near post where three Icelandic defenders were waiting without challenge.

        55. 14'

          Johnson breaks through for Cymru and after his effort was saved the offside flag was raised.

        56. 10'

          Iceland mean business here and they’ll be pleased with their dominance in the opening 10 minutes.

        57. 8'

          GOAL! Iceland take the lead through Gudjohnsen who puts the balls through Ward’s legs, moments after he pulled off a fantastic one-handed save. A disappointing start for Cymru.

        58. 7'

          Goal

          ANDRI GUDJOHNSEN

        59. 📸 The Cymru team photo.

        60. 5'

          Good start from Iceland and after Cymru give up possession, Johannesson is through to strike at goal but the effort is tipped over by Ward.

        61. 4'

          Gudmundsson sends the free kick into the box but Rodon heads it away.

        62. 3'

          Williams gives away a free kick deep inside the Cymru half. It provides Iceland with an opportunity to put the ball into the box.

        63. 1'

          KICK OFF

          Iceland get the match underway.

        64. '

          Substitution

          STEFÁN TEITUR THÓRDARSON replaces JOHANN GUDMUNDSSON

        65. Brennan Johnson is warming up in freezing temperatures here at Cardiff City Stadium. He scored against Iceland in Reykjavik during this campaign and will be hoping to hit the back of the net in this return fixture.

        66. It’s 92 caps for Ben Davies tonight as he goes level with Neville Southall in the men’s most capped players list. Wayne Hennessey (109), Chris Gunter (109) and Gareth Bale (111) are ahead of him.

        69. Here’s who starts for Iceland.

        70. There are four changes to the team that played against Türkiye on Saturday, with Dan James, Danny Ward, Ben Cabango and Liam Cullen all come into the starting XI.

          Meanwhile, Joe Rodon earns his 50th cap.

        71. Craig Bellamy has named his team for this UEFA Nations League match.

        73. The stage is set for this UEFA Nations League decider. Team news is coming soon.

        74. Watch on RedWall+

          Check out what Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy and captain Ben Davies had to say to the media yesterday on RedWall+ in the build-up to the match against Iceland.

          There’s also plenty of other free content available including interviews with players and special features across the Cymru National Team and other aspects of Welsh football.

          Click here to start watching now

        76. Spain or San Marino next?

          The fine margins of the UEFA Nations League mean that Cymru could potentially take on European champions Spain or San Marino, currently bottom of the FIFA World Rankings, in the next edition of the competition.

          Cymru head into tonight’s final match against Iceland two points below Group B4 leaders Türkiye and two points above their opponents, meaning that Craig Bellamy’s side can still finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the table.

          A Cymru victory this evening coupled with a surprise win for bottom side Montenegro against Türkiye would confirm Bellamy’s side as group winners and with it promotion to League A. However, a point will be enough for Türkiye to claim top spot providing they maintain a superior goal difference over Cymru.

          Finishing in 2nd place would result in a two-legged play-off in March for Cymru against one of the four teams finishing third in League A. The winners would then claim their place amongst Europe’s elite.

          However, an Iceland victory would leave Cymru third and needing a play-off against one of the runners-up from League C to retain their current status. San Marino made history on Monday evening by gaining promotion to League C with a 3-1 win over Liechtenstein.

          Bellamy (below) wasn’t too concerned about the permutations when he spoke to the media yesterday. “Honestly, I don’t know about the group,” he said. “All I care about is winning this game. That’s the honest truth. What will be will be. Just win the games.

          “Whatever happens elsewhere happens. If we draw we deal with that, if we lose we deal with that. There’s only three outcomes. How can we put ourselves in the best position to win the game? And that is it.”

        78. Bellamy believes in Cymru success

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy also spoke to the media on Monday afternoon ahead of the final group match in the UEFA Nations League.

          “I’m definitely happy with the result, but I want more,” explained Bellamy when asked about the 0-0 draw with Türkiye on Saturday. “I want us to be able to go to these top teams and really take the game to the opposition. I want us to be that type of team, where we can have a big say in games.

          “We’re at home, the atmosphere always helps, but we need to be able to play our game. Iceland will be difficult opposition, but can we play our football with and without the ball? I feel in this campaign our identity has been clear, but I want us to be a top football nation, that’s what I want us to strive for.”

          Cymru took a two-goal lead against Iceland in the away match last month but the home side came back strongly in the 2nd half to claim a point in the 2-2 draw. This is now a must-win match for both teams with so much still to play for in the final group standings.

          “There’s going to be a lot of difficulties in the game tomorrow, but it’s really about how we can win,” Bellamy added. “We stopped creating angles out there, but having those scenarios allows us to improve and be consistent in what we do. I feel very lucky with this group, and I want more for them. I want us to be better.

          “I still can’t believe I’m doing this. I’m Wales national team manager. It gives me goosebumps every time I even think of it. I want to protect that as well. I want to do well, but I have to breathe. I’m so invested in this and I honestly believe we can get there on what I’ve seen so far, and that’s very satisfying.”

        80. Pressure on Cymru

          Åge Hareide believes the pressure will be on Cymru on Tuesday, with more than 27,000 expected in attendance at the Cardiff City Stadium.

          “I think pressure is definitely on Wales because they have the home crowd behind them and they’ll expect Wales to beat us,” said the Norwegian in his pre-match press conference.

          “Craig Bellamy has tried to implement a certain style of play since he started as manager and he’s done a good job. It always takes time to get the team going but they’ve had good results with two draws against Turkey, conceded very few goals and they’re hard to break down. We’ll have a go to try and do that.

          “As long as we have less points than Wales, we are the underdogs and we have to beat them to try and qualify for League A. We were equal in Reykjavik so that means we always have a chance when we play against them. We want to be offensive and attack Wales, but we have defend well when we need to as well.”

        82. Davies on his Cymru commitment

          Cymru captain Ben Davies spoke to the media this afternoon as he prepares to move level with Neville Southall on 92 senior international appearances.

          “I’m very committed to playing for Wales and I want to continue for as long as possible,” said Davies. “It’s great to mentioned in the same breath as people like Neville Southall and I hope I can play for Wales for a long time coming, but that will depend on me staying fit for as long as I can and performing at a good level.

          “We’re committed to playing exciting football, to be on the front foot and play a certain way. In these five games we’ve learnt a lot about the squad, we’ve learnt a lot about ourselves too, and on our day we’re a match for anyone. These games have been very important for us as a group and so far we can be very proud of what we’ve done.”

        84. Coaching veteran Åge Hareide

          Craig Bellamy will take charge of Cymru for just the sixth time on Tuesday night against Iceland, while in comparison, his opposite number Åge Hareide will be in the dugout for the 867th time.

          The 71-year old Norwegian was appointed manager of Iceland in April 2023 and has won eight of his 20 games, while Bellamy remains undefeated following two victories and three draws as Cymru head coach.

          Previously manager of the national teams of Denmark and his native Norway, at club level Hareide is the only person to have ever won the domestic league title in three different Scandinavian countries.

          Bellamy was just six years old when Hareide began his coaching career with Molde back in 1985, although the two do have a playing connection in that they both represented Manchester City. Hareide played for the club in 1981/82, while Bellamy arrived there from West Ham United in 2009.

        86. Bellamy on Rodon

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy has praised defender Joe Rodon as he prepares to make his 50th senior international appearance against Iceland on Tuesday night.

          “I’ve always been impressed by him,” said Bellamy recently. “The amount of caps he has won for Wales at a very good age is impressive and there are more to come. His role as a leader in the group has been hugely impressive. I’m delighted for him.

          “Every time I’ve seen him for Leeds, he’s been beyond impressive. His physique, his speed – he’s really quick – and just as an all-round footballer, he’s very impressive.”

        89. Meet the Ref

          António Nobre will take charge of the UEFA Nations League match between Cymru and Iceland on Tuesday night.

          The 35-year old has officiated in European club competition this season while his last visit to Cardiff was in September 2020 when he was the Fourth Official for Cymru’s 1-0 win over Bulgaria (below).

          Pedro Ribeiro and Nelson Pereira are the Assistant Referees and Gustavo Correia is the Fourth Official. Fábio Oliveira Melo will be the VAR and he will be assisted by Hugo Miguel. All of the officials are from Portugal.

        90. Previous meetings

          There have been eight previous meetings between Cymru and Iceland with Tuesday’s visitors claiming just one win since this fixture was first played back in June 1980.

          Cymru won that first meeting 4-0 through goals from David Giles, Brian Flynn and a double from Ian Walsh in Reykjavík. However, the two sides would share the points in Swansea as the return match finished 2-2 in October 1981.

          Iceland’s only victory over Cymru took place just over forty years ago in September 1984 as Magnus Bergs scored in a 1-0 win in Reykjavík. Cymru would win the next four meetings between November 1984 and March 2014.

          The most recent match between the two nations took place last month and finished 2-2 in Reykjavík. Brennan Johnson (below) and Harry Wilson had put the visitors two goals ahead at half-time, but Iceland responded with two goals of their own after the re-start to share the points.

        92. As it stands

          Cymru and Türkiye head into the final round of fixtures with undefeated records and both nations can still finish top of Group B4.

          The two teams played out a 0-0 draw for the second time in the group on Saturday evening in Kayseri as Türkiye maintained their two point advantage heading into their final game away to bottom of the table Montenegro.

          Goals from Orri Óskarsson and Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson earned Iceland a 2-0 win in Montenegro on Saturday, and they now head to Cardiff for their final match which Cymru must win to have any chance of sealing automatic promotion to League A.

        93. There is no live report available for this match

        Lineups

        Starting

          Substitutes

            Starting

              Substitutes

                Table

                P
                Gd
                Pts

                Match Info

                Stadium

                Date & Time

                Referee

                Fourth Official

                Assistant Referees

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