Russo joins the Lionesses' top ten on the night England turned 500

Alessia Russo's 21st-minute finish was the whole story in Reykjavik. England made their 500th senior appearance look like hard labour, survived Iceland's second-half push thanks to Hannah Hampton, and walked out with 12 points from 12 and a three-point cushion on Spain in Group A3.

One goal, one goalkeeper, and an afternoon that kept getting narrower

Iceland had watched England beat Spain at Wembley on Tuesday and drawn the obvious conclusion: compress the pitch, load the middle, make Sarina Wiegman's side play in front of them. For the opening twenty minutes it worked. Then Lauren Hemp collected the ball in her own half, carried it the length of the centre circle without being engaged, and slid Alessia Russo in behind. One touch to steady, one to finish low past Cecilía Rúnarsdóttir. That was England's cleanest sequence of the first half and, as it turned out, of the match.

The second half belonged to Iceland in territory if not on the scoreboard. Glódís Viggósdóttir hit the post from a corner. Sveindís Jónsdóttir tested Hannah Hampton twice from distance. Diljá Zomers had the rebound smothered by a sprawling Hampton, and two minutes later the same goalkeeper was out at the back post to deny Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir when a deep cross was flicked across her. Sandra María Jessen rounded Hampton in injury time but the angle closed on her and Lotte Wubben-Moy cleared. England had chosen to defend deep; Hampton is the reason the choice held.

Russo's goal was her thirtieth for England and took her level with Marieanne Spacey on the Lionesses' all-time list. England have collected twelve points from twelve. Spain are three back with Mallorca five weeks away. A point there guarantees England top spot in the group with a match to spare.

Edna Imade scores twice and makes the Bonmatí absence look smaller than it should

Spain's afternoon was settled early and settled twice by the same move. Lucía Corrales down the left, cross to the centre of the box, Edna Imade heading home. The first inside the opening two minutes. The second two minutes into the second half. María Méndez added a third before the hour from a Vicky López corner, Eva Navarro found a deflection for a fourth, López herself rounded the keeper for the fifth. Spain had sixteen corners, ten shots on target, more than 72 per cent of the ball. The second half was a training session in the sun.

Imade is 25, born in Morocco to Nigerian parents who had fled Benin City, raised in Seville after her mother crossed the Sahara and then the Mediterranean to reach Andalusia. She was the second-highest scorer in Liga F last season at Granada, signed for Bayern Munich in the summer, was loaned back to Real Sociedad, and scored eleven goals in twelve matches before Bayern cut the loan short in January and recalled her to Germany. Her Spanish passport came through on the nineteenth of November. The call-up arrived on the twenty-first. The senior debut followed a week later. Nigeria spent a year courting her for the Super Falcons. Spain got her because she grew up in Carmona, not Benin City, and because Spain is holding the trophy. With Aitana Bonmatí still building back from the leg-break that cost her the Nations League finals, Bermúdez now has a No 9 who does not need to be Bonmatí to keep Spain winning.

Auxerre: a scoreless second half, a point each, and the Netherlands still on top

The Netherlands arrived at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps on top of Group A2 by a single point and left with the margin intact. France broke the deadlock just before half-time: a short corner worked with Sandy Baltimore was rolled back into the six-yard box, and Marie-Antoinette Katoto headed in. The Dutch equaliser in the 76th minute was the same picture in reverse. Esmee Brugts delivered the cross, and Wieke Kaptein headed home from close range.

Two minutes after Kaptein's header, Grace Geyoro smashed the crossbar from a high turnover and France ran out of answers after that. Bonadei's side had the territory and the tempo for most of the second half but could not force a second goal against a Dutch side missing Dominique Janssen, Vivianne Miedema, Jackie Groenen, Daniëlle van de Donk, Jill Roord and Kerstin Casparij among a longer injury list. The June window decides the group. On the fifth, Ireland host the Netherlands at Páirc Uí Chaoimh and France travel to Poland. On the ninth, Ireland go to Grenoble and the Netherlands finish at home to Poland.

Netherlands eight points, France seven, Ireland six, Poland three.

Sheva's finish, O'Sullivan's near-miss, and Ireland one win from the top of the group

Carla Ward's Ireland have won back-to-back qualifiers for the first time in this cycle: the 3-2 in Gdansk on Tuesday and the 1-0 at the Aviva four days later. Marissa Sheva's first-half finish was the only goal the stadium saw. The moment of the afternoon was Denise O'Sullivan popping the ball over two Poland defenders and cracking the underside of the crossbar with the shot that followed. O'Sullivan also picked up the second yellow of her campaign, which rules her out of the Netherlands match on the fifth of June at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Ireland sit on six points, one behind France and two behind the Netherlands. Win the Dutch match and they go to Grenoble four days later playing for top spot in the group. Lose and they are in the play-offs in October and November, one round, two legs, a single slip to eliminate them. Ward took the job in January last year, after the FAI declined to renew Eileen Gleeson's deal following the Euro 2025 qualification failure. Fifteen months in, with two qualifiers to play, she has Ireland closer to a second World Cup than the opening weeks of her tenure suggested was realistic.

Germany drop their first points of the cycle and the Norway home tie becomes the group

Austria held Germany to a goalless draw at the Innviertel Arena, Germany's first dropped points of the cycle and Austria's first point of any kind. Christian Wück's side had the ball without finding a way through. Germany lead Group A4 on ten points. Norway sit on nine after their 3-2 in Ptuj, Ada Hegerberg opening the scoring, Signe Gaupset sealing it in stoppage time after Kaja Zver had twice pulled Slovenia level. Germany host Norway on the fifth of June. That is the fixture that decides the group.

Copenhagen stays scoreless and Denmark keep the Group A1 lead

Stina Blackstenius's 50th-minute finish at Friends Arena kept Sweden within a point of Group A1 leaders Denmark. Denmark's 0-0 in Copenhagen against Italy was the least eventful League A fixture of the afternoon and the most consequential: Denmark now lead the group on eight points, one clear of Sweden, with Italy a further two back on five. Serbia are on one point from four. Two matchdays left.

Around the League

Group A1

Sweden 1-0 Serbia (Blackstenius 50'). Friends Arena, Stockholm.
Denmark 0-0 Italy. Parken Stadium, Copenhagen.

Group A2

France 1-1 Netherlands (Katoto 45+1'; Kaptein 75'). Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, Auxerre.
Republic of Ireland 1-0 Poland (Sheva 41'). Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

Group A3

Iceland 0-1 England (Russo 21'). Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík.
Spain 5-0 Ukraine (Imade 2', 47'; Méndez 61'; Navarro 71'; V. López 76'). Estadio Municipal Nuevo El Arcángel, Córdoba.