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Iceland vs Wales Preview, Prediction, Team News and Predicted Lineups Ahead Of Nations League Clash
Cai is a news and features writer that specialises in football, but has experience covering a variety of other sports, including darts, basketball, American football, MMA, boxing and more. He holds a degree in Football Journalism (BA Hons) from the University of Derby, and worked with Nottingham Forest FC and Burton Albion FC throughout his studies. Cai also has experience working in social media with the Football Association of Wales, where he worked on a freelance basis, and has also been an accredited writer in the JD Cymru Premier for both Y Clwb Pêl-Droed and welshfootie since the 2019/20 season.
Get to know Cai Parry betterPublished9 hours ago on October 11, 2024
Wales head to Reykjavík to take on Iceland in the Nations League on Friday evening, and we’ve got the latest in terms of team news and predicted lineups, as well as a prediction in our pre-match preview.
Craig Bellamy and his Wales side return to Nations League action against Iceland in Reykjavík on Friday night, where they’ll be looking to maintain their unbeaten start in Group B4.
The Dragons were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Euro 2024 quarter-finalists Turkey in their opener, Bellamy’s first match in charge, before defeating Montenegro 2-1 on the road thanks to two early strikes from Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson in horrendous conditions last month.
Wales currently sit second in the group, level on points with Turkey and just one goal behind on goal difference, while Iceland occupy third place after recording a win and a loss in September.
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— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) October 10, 2024
Age Hareide’s side got their campaign underway with a 2-0 victory against Montenegro at home, extending their unbeaten record at Laugardalsvöllur to four straight matches in competitive play.
A 3-1 defeat at the hands of Turkey followed three days later, but notably, all three of their goals across both matches came via set pieces, something the Welsh will have to be aware of and plan well for ahead of Friday’s fixture.
It’ll be Wales and Iceland’s first meeting since 2014, when the Dragons came up trumps with a 3-1 scoreline in a friendly at the Cardiff City Stadium courtesy of goals from Gareth Bale, Sam Vokes and James Collins.
The UK’s best football betting sites are narrowly favouring the Welsh to come out on top once more this time around at a price of 29/20, while the hosts are rated at 2/1 to claim all three points.
Iceland Team News
Panathinaikos defender Sverrir Ingi Ingason makes his return to the national team after missing out on September’s Nations League ties against Montenegro and Turkey through injury, and he should come straight back into the lineup.
Former Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson should also be afforded a start, which would be his third successive start in Icelandic colours after making his return to the field of play after a spell away from the game.
Real Sociedad frontman Orri Steinn Oskarsson, who netted twice against Valencia last time out in La Liga, is expected to battle Gent’s Andri Gudjohnsen for the starting striker position.
Wales Team News
Bellamy will have to make do without three key players for the trip to Iceland and for Montenegro’s visit to Cardiff on Monday, with Ethan Ampadu, Aaron Ramsey and Daniel James all unavailable through injury.
Long-term absentee Joe Morrell also remains ruled out due to a knee injury suffered back in January.
Coming into the squad having returned from injury though, are Wes Burns, David Brooks, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Nathan Broadhead. Joe Allen, who ended his Wales career in February 2023, also makes his comeback to the international stage after being convinced by Bellamy to come out of retirement.
Despite Allen’s return, he has not been included in Wales’ final 23-man matchday squad for the clash.
Iceland vs Wales Predicted Lineups
Iceland Predicted Lineup:
Valdimarsson; Sampsted, Hermansson, Ingason, Finnsson; Anderson, Gudmundsson, Thordarson, Thorsteinsson; Sigurdsson; Oskarsson
Wales Predicted Lineup:
Ward; Roberts, Rodon, Davies, Williams; Johnson, Cooper, James, Thomas; Wilson: Moore
Iceland vs Wales Prediction
As previously mentioned, Iceland are unbeaten in each of their last four competitive matches at home, so Friday night’s clash will be a big test for Bellamy’s side, who have impressed with their new adventurous, aggressive style of play.
The Dragons come into the tie ranked 29th in the FIFA World Rankings, while their Nordic opposition are 42 spots behind in 71st, and the statistics point towards the Welsh enjoying the better share of possession in Reykjavík.
Wales have averaged 58.5% possession across their opening two Nations League games, in comparison to Iceland’s 38.5%. Bellamy’s men also boast the higher average in terms of total shots per game with 12.5 and have also averaged 3.5 big chances per game. Iceland have only managed 1.5 big chances per game.
Brennan Johnson‘s form is also a major consideration heading into the clash, with the Tottenham winger scoring in each of his last six matches across all competitions. If the 23-year-old is able to display such levels against Iceland on Friday, he could prove to be the difference-maker for the Welsh.
While we expect a tight, closely fought battle at Laugardalsvöllur, we’re backing Johnson, Moore, Wilson and co. to find the cutting edge and secure a vital three points on their quest for League A promotion.
Prediction: Iceland 0-1 Wales