Our prediction for this Nations League match:
Iceland
Match Time & Date:
15/10/2018
02:45 PM
Prediction: 0-2
Switzerland
Iceland will be aiming to make amends for back-to-back losses to the likes of Switzerland and Belgium when they host Vladimir Petkovic’s troops at Laugardalsvollur in Reykjavik. The Icelanders have been struggling at the back at the start of their UEFA Nations League campaign, but they did well to hold France to a 2-2 draw in Thursday’s friendly. Switzerland, on the other hand, head into Monday’s football game following a 2-1 loss to Belgium. The Rossocrociati were on the verge of sharing the spoils with the Red Devils in Brussels, but Romelu Lukaku eventually scored the winner for the hosts. Anyhow, Switzerland are more of a team than Iceland and we believe that there is a big value in betting on the visitors. When the two teams met in Switzerland earlier in the process the Rossocrociati emerged triumphant and that is yet another reason why away win should be considered.
Highlighted Player (Alfred Finnbogason):
Born in Grindavik in 1989, Alfred Finnbogason is one of the most prolific strikers in the history of Icelandic football, as the well-travelled forward has been scoring goals for fun throughout his career. His talent was first spotted at Breidablik, where two very successful campaign helped him move to Lokeren, where he did not spent a lot of time and soon signed for Helsingborgs.
The return of 12 goals in 17 league outings for the Swedish giants soon secured him a move to Heerenveen, where he would go on to play the best football of his career, scoring remarkable 53 goals in 65 Eredivisie matches. Finnbogason somewhat struggled during spells with Real Sociedad and Olympiakos, but managed to kick-start his career at Augsburg, just in time to help Iceland on their first ever European championship appearance.
The prolific striker has been a member of the country’s national team since 2010, making over 30 appearances and scoring quite a few goals despite the fact that he was not always considered a first team regular.
Highlighted Team (Switzerland):
While missing the first ever World Cup, Switzerland played at next four, reaching the quarter-finals on three occasions, but they were unable to repeat the success in next six appearances. Nati reached the first knockout stage in 1994, 2006 and 2014, but they couldn’t make the next step.
When it comes to their European Championship appearances, the situation is even worse, as the team only qualified for the 1996, 2004 and 2016 finals, while they automatically qualified for the 2008 tournament together with co-hosts Austria. Switzerland national team of late have profited from the multicultural environment, as they appear to have closed the gap behind top European sides and also adopted a more adventurous style of play.
The new generation is probably the most talented yet, with players like Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Ricardo Rodriguez and Valon Behrami all held in high regard. Nati now have a unique chance to try and reach the closing stages of a major tournament as their key men are either at their peak or will be there in the next couple of years.
Serbia
Ukraine
Kosovo
England
Albania
France
Greece
Finland
Ireland
Denmark
Italy
Armenia
