Every match day during Euro 2016, The National's Premier League correspondent Greg Lea will break down every match and its key moments. Here is his analysis of Day 5 of the tournament.
Portugal 1-1 Iceland: United underdogs cause upset
The smallest country to ever take part in a European Championship remain unbeaten. A spirited performance earned Iceland an unlikely draw against Portugal, who were left to rue multiple missed opportunities and two points dropped.
Fernando Santos’ men started strongly, with Iceland pinned back inside their own half for the majority of the opening 45 minutes. Portugal circulated the ball quickly and accurately, unsettling their opponents’ defensive unit with their sharp movement and crisp distribution.
Nani edged them into a well-deserved lead after a fine team move down the right flank after half an hour, and it was difficult to see a way back for Iceland at the break.
Birkir Bjarnason took full advantage of a defensive mishap early in the second period to get his side back on level terms, however, and Iceland grew into the game thereafter.
Portugal still fashioned more than enough chances to win the game, but it was difficult to begrudge Iceland a memorable point in the first ever Euros encounter.
More from Euro 2016:
• Andy Mitten's Euro 2016 diary: Price of football is not cheap ... especially if you miss a goal
• Richard Jolly analysis: Ronaldo cuts a frustrated figure as Iceland battle back to draw with Portugal
• Ian Hawkey on Paul Pogba: Like Platini and Zidane before him, a Juventus man expected to deliver success for France
Austria 0-2 Hungary: A surprising but fully deserved result
Hungary’s defeat of Austria was arguably an even bigger shock, particularly as the scoreline perfectly reflected Bernd Storck’s men’s dominance.
Hungary were neat and tidy in possession, moving the ball well in the opening stages and successfully nullifying the threat of David Alaba, the Bayern Munich left-back who plays in the centre of midfield for Austria.
Zoltan Gera, Adam Nagy and Laszlo Kleinheiser were all superb in Hungary’s engine room, while Adam Szalai worked hard up top, and centre-backs Richard Guzmics and Adam Lang, along with veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, did a fine job of keeping Austria out at the other end.
There was plenty of commitment and togetherness in Hungary’s showing, but noting such attributes should not preclude them from receiving praise for their technical quality, well-executed approach and astute game management.
A low-scoring but enjoyable start.
Opening round takeaway
Every team has now played once at Euro 2016, and it is probably even more difficult to pick a winner now than it was before the big kick-off last Friday.
There have been strong performances from the likes of Croatia, Wales, Spain, Poland, Italy and Hungary, while Germany, Portugal, England and France showed in flashes why they have all been backed to claim the trophy this summer.
Question marks remain about every side in the competition, though, and no country has yet delivered a display to convince that they are the overwhelming favourites.
Judging teams’ credentials will become easier once the convoluted group stage has been completed, so the main takeaway at this point relates to the relatively low goal-per-game ratio in the opening 12 matches.
There have been just 22 goals scored so far in France, an average of 1.83 per match; that is rather few compared to the first round of fixtures at previous European Championships this century, with 2.5 in 2012, 2 in 2008, 2.13 in 2004 and 3 in 2000.
Although goals are frequently equated to entertainment, the low-scoring nature of Euro 2016 has not made it any less enjoyable.
In fact, even and closely-fought contests — there have been only three wins by more than a single-goal margin, and all of those (Germany 2-0 Ukraine, Belgium 0-2 Italy and Austria 0-2 Hungary) featured goals in the last five minutes — are preferable to 5-1 and 4-0 thrashings, particularly as many feared that some of the smaller nations would be shown to be wildly out of their depth in their initial encounters.
Northern Ireland were extremely defensive against Poland, the Republic of Ireland sat back a little too much after going ahead against Sweden and Russia did not show a great deal of ambition in their draw with England, but four of the biggest underdogs — Romania, Albania, Hungary and Iceland — were competitive in their clashes with France, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal.
There has not yet been a rush of goals, but in this particular case that might not be a negative thing at all.
Player of the day — Laszlo Kleinheisler
Kleinheisler was terrific throughout Hungary’s victory, the Werder Bremen midfielder continually positioning himself to receive the ball and making good use of it when it arrived.
Goal of the day
Portugal’s opener was excellent and Zoltan Stieber’s impudent dink was one of the finishes of the competition to date, but the combination play between Kleinheisler and Szalai for the latter’s strike against Austria stood out. The final touch was scruffy but the build-up was brilliant, and the fact that this was Szalai’s first goal in 39 appearances for club and country made it even sweeter.
Moment of the day
The Icelandic celebrations at the final whistle were fantastic to watch after a hard-earned point in the nation’s first ever match at a major tournament.
Howler of the day
Portugal right-back Vieirinha is a winger by trade, something he demonstrated by completely switching off and allowing Bjarnason time and space in the box to equalise for Iceland.
Statistic of the day
Around eight per cent of Iceland’s population was in Saint-Etienne for their side’s Group F game with Portugal.
Thing to look forward to
France take on Albania on Wednesday, which means another chance to watch the wonderful Dimitri Payet in action.
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Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
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Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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Meydan race card
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh185,000; (D) 2,000m
8.50pm: Handicap; Dh185,000; (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; (D) 2,000m
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)
Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Match info
Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')
Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
MEYDAN RESULTS
6.30pm Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer).
7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Galaxy Road, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Al Modayar, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner George Villiers, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
Winner Lady Parma, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Zaajer, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe