It goes without saying that Euro 2016 has been full of plenty of surprises. And arguably the biggest surprise so far has been the success of debutants Iceland. Against all odds, the minnows, who are the smallest ever nation to feature at a major tournament, have made it this far, and next up on their menu will be hosts France.
Will Les Bleus be the latest big side to be shocked at the Stade de France this Sunday?
France
Although Didier Deschamps's side have yet to lose a game, the overwhelming feeling is that France have been simply rolling along without hitting a higher gear. Les Bleus made it through their group stage with two wins and a draw, but it was far from an impressive performance against weaker sides like Romania and Albania. And against Ireland, they fell behind early and appeared out of sorts until turning things around in the second half, courtesy of a brace from Antoine Griezmann.
Griezmann's double against Ireland was enough to save France's blushes during their round of 16 tie
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Both N'Golo Kante and Adil Rami will be suspended for this fixture, meaning that Deschamps will have to reshuffle things both in midfield and defense as they hope to avoid any sort of embarrassment this Sunday.
Iceland
With a population of approximately 325,000, Iceland are by far the underdogs in this tie. However, that hasn't stopped them from approaching each game with confidence and pulling off some shock results. Many had expected the debutants to make an early exit, but they put in some impressive performances to beat Austria, tie Portugal, and finish second in their group behind Hungary.
Agaisnt England, they weren't given the respect they needed - and it turned out to backfire for the Three Lions, who were humiliated and sent home packing after a 2-1 loss. The victory, which was their first ever over the English, has inspired comparisons between Iceland and Leicester City, who shocked the Premier League in May by clinching the title.
Iceland celebrate after their well deserved 2-1 win over England to continue their historic run at this summer's Euro tournament
Iceland will be using the Foxes for inspiration as they now take on an even tougher opponent - France. Les Bleus have long represented a difficult foe for the minnows, but after their win over England, one can certainly bet that the hosts will be taking them a lot more seriously than the English did.
With no injuries or suspensions, Iceland will have everyone available. And given that they have used the same starting XI for their past four games, expect them to stick with what has worked so far for this game on Sunday.
Which channel is broadcasting France vs Iceland on TV or Online?
Not able to make it to the Stade de France? No problem. LiveSoccerTV.com has put together options to tune in via TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are all the choices for fans residing elsewhere in France and in the following countries:
- In the USA at 15.00 EST on: ESPN3 USA, ESPN2, WatchESPN, SiriusXM FC, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN Deportes TV
- In France at 21.00 CET on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT France, beIN Sports 2, beIN Sports 1, M6
- In Iceland at 19.00 GMT on: SíminnSport, SkjárSport
- In the UK at 20.00 BST on: TalkSport Radio UK, ITV 1 UK, BBC Radio 5 Live, The ITV Hub
- In Canada at 15.00 ET on: TSN1, RDS, TSN3, TSN5, TSN4, TSN Radio 1040 | 1410 Vancouver
Live elsewhere? Check out our special France vs. Iceland broadcast page for viewing times and options for your current location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
France vs Iceland - Did you know?
- Iceland are the only side to have scored via a throw-in assist, with Kari Arnason providing the assist on both goals
- Iceland have never beaten France. Their record stands as eight losses and three draws
- France have never lost in a major tournament match at the Stade de France (four wins, one draw from World Cup '98 and Euro 2016)
- Iceland, along with Wales, are the only teams to have scored in all of their four games thus far
- France and Iceland both have scored six goals; however Les Bleus have made 67 attempts so far. Iceland, by contrast have made 27
- Don't be surprised to see France score late...11 out of their past 12 Euro goals have been in the second 45
- Iceland have only lost one out of their past ten competitive fixtures (five wins, four draws)
- France are unbeaten in their last 16 competitive fixtures at home. Their last loss was a shock 2-0 reversal to the former Czechoslovakia in the inaugural Euro tournament back in July 1960.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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