Roy Hodgson's side made it through to the round of 16 by finishing in second spot in Group B, which was seen as something of a disappointment by the majority of supporters who expected a first-place finish. England's campaign began with a 1-1 draw against Russia, a game which they dominated for long periods but were left feeling disappointed after squandering a number of good goalscoring chances before Vasili Berezutski's late headed equaliser.
A 2-1 triumph over Wales followed, Daniel Sturridge's dramatic strike in second-half stoppage time giving England all three points, but a goalless draw with Slovakia in their final group stage encounter last Monday allowed the Welsh to move ahead of them at the summit. England once again played some good football in that match, fashioning the better opportunities and successfully shutting out Slovakia at the other end, but they were ultimate made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal.
Iceland hugely exceeded expectations by even reaching the Euros, with a nation that is home to only 330,000 people finishing above Turkey and the Netherlands in their qualifying group. Progressing to the knockout rounds of the tournament proper was widely considered to be a step too far, but Iceland achieved exactly that by amassing a total of five points and remaining unbeaten in Group F.
Lars Lagerback and Heimir Hallgrimsson's charges kick-started their time in France with a 1-1 draw against Portugal; although Cristiano Ronaldo and co. could have been two or three goals up at half-time following a fine performance in the opening 45 minutes, Iceland did brilliantly to battle back after the break. Another 1-1 draw with Hungary followed - it would have been even better had Birkir Mar Saevarsson not turned the ball into his own net with less than two minutes left on the clock - before a 2-1 win over Austria last week sent them through in second spot.
The reaction to England drawing Iceland rather than Portugal in the round of 16 was positive, but playing a team who will sit deep, park men behind the ball and look to frustrate and spoil might actually be a bad thing - after all, England found it difficult to break down sides employing similar tactics in the group stage. Iceland are a very patient outfit who will bide their time and retain their discipline, and Hodgson's men will have to keep their cool if they are unable to make the breakthrough early on.
Having said that, it is difficult to envisage anything other than a rather comfortable England win in the final round of 16 tie. The Three Lions may not open the scoring until the second half, but a 2-0 victory - under 2.5 goals in total looks likely - is worth backing, while Adam Lallana could be a good choice to find the back of the net before anyone else.
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