Portugal vs. Iceland: Score and Twitter Reaction from Euro 2016

Birkir Bjarnason's second-half volley earned Iceland a gallant 1-1 draw against Portugal in the 2016 UEFA European Championships at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne, France, on Tuesday.

Nani's goal in the 31st minute gave the Selecao a deserved lead after their first-half dominance, but Portugal were caught cold at the start of the second. Late on, Iceland gamely held firm despite waves of pressure.

On the cusp of Iceland's first-ever match at a major tournament, Breathe Sport summed up the remarkable support they had in France:

"

10% of Iceland's entire population is in Saint-Etienne tonight to support their side. Incredible stat! #ISL #POR pic.twitter.com/LcEu76Dq4b

— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) June 14, 2016"

There weren't many nerves from the Iceland players early, either, as Gylfi Sigurdsson made room to shoot with a superb run in the third minute. His rasping strike was palmed away well by Rui Patricio between the sticks.

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After the initial move, Portugal's superior technical players took over the game. Joao Moutinho, Andre Gomes and Joao Mario started to get on the ball, giving manager Fernando Santos' side a foothold. It also afforded the front two more freedom.

Cristiano Ronaldo's first major involvement—on a night he equalled Luis Figo's national record of 127 caps—saw him dart past a couple of defenders and fizz a fabulous cross into Nani. The former Manchester United man couldn't convert from six yards, though.

As these statistics from Match of the Day show, Iceland were struggling to get a grip of the game:

So it was little surprise when Portugal broke through just after the half-hour mark, with Nani making amends for his earlier miss.

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Gomes exchanged passes superbly with Vieirinha in the right-hand channel, then put a gorgeous cross across the front of goal. The Fenerbahce man was more alert than his marker, finding space and sweeping home from close range. Stats Zone broke down the brilliant buildup:

After the goal, Portugal continued to probe at a creaking defence, and Ronaldo began to get a little more involved in the game. But Iceland were able to hold out until the interval.

In the second half, they began the quicker of the two sides, just as they'd done in the first period. On this occasion, however, they got their reward.

Iceland were aided by some terrible Portugal defence, as Vieirinha switched off at the back post. It allowed Bjarnason to volley past Patricio and sent the assembled fans from the North Atlantic island into raptures.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

AS English went with the following image on its social media bulletin, as Bjarnason is often dubbed "Thor" because of his flowing blond locks:

From there, the pattern of the first half resumed, with Portugal dominating the ball and Iceland sitting deep and soaking up pressure.

Naturally, chances came for the Selecao as a result. Nani headed a free-kick from Vieirinha inches wide, and Ronaldo lashed a shot off target from the edge of the penalty area. Meanwhile, Iceland tagged their illustrious opponents with threatening counter-attacks.

As Portugal introduced Renato Sanches and Ricardo Quaresma on 71 and 76 minutes, the Iceland defence came under sustained pressure, and the Daily Mirror's Ed Malyon noted how well they'd handled Ronaldo to that point:

Pepe was the next Portugal player to go close, as his header looped onto the roof of the goal before Ronaldo nodded Nani's fizzing cross straight at Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson.

It was the last major chance the Portuguese had before the match official called time on an absorbing second half, giving Iceland a priceless point in their major tournament bow.

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

After losing their first game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Germany 4-0, Portugal never recovered, so they would have been desperate to get three points here. The defensive lapses that have blighted this team manifested on the big stage once again, though, and that's something Santos must address if they're to be a force in this tournament.

For Iceland, this is a stunning result. To sit so deep for so long, recover from a goal down and remain composed in the heat of such an intense match is a credit to the startling progression they've made. The display will have earned this popular outfit plenty more fans as they seek to progress to the knockout stages.

Post-Match Reaction

Iceland veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen posted the following on his Twitter feed after the contest:

Ronaldo, by contrast, was critical of Iceland's celebrations after the full-time whistle, per Malyon:

"We should've scored more goals—that's no secret," Santos said, per the tournament website. "There's always difficulties in the first game. I think we'll bounce back to play two great matches."

Heimir Hallgrimsson, one of Iceland's two head coaches, spoke of how his players went about nullifying the influence Ronaldo had on the match.

"It's down to teamwork," he said, per the tournament website. "You can't put one player to stop a guy like Ronaldo. It has to be a team effort, closing the areas.

"There were a lot of players responsible for Ronaldo tonight. We did a really good job. Well done, the lads."