Slovakia vs Iceland prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-11-15 19:45.
Slovakia are one step – or more accurately, one point – away from their third consecutive UEFA European Championship appearance! A draw against Iceland in Bratislava will guarantee that they cannot be overtaken by third-placed Luxembourg thanks to the Falcons’ head-to-head advantage, and a strong home record during this Euro 2024 qualification (ECQ) cycle suggests they should be aiming for all three points here.
That’s precisely the attitude adopted by manager Francesco Calzona, who told the media his players must “play for three points, not one” on Thursday. Regardless of how they fare up front, the Italian’s defenders are likely going to make life difficult for the visitors. Slovakia conceded just one goal in a defeat at home to rampant leaders Portugal, who are averaging four goals a game in this ECQ campaign, while earning clean sheets at home to fellow Group J nations Luxembourg (0-0), Liechtenstein (3-0) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-0).
Having lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture in June, Iceland face the almost insurmountable task of not only defeating Slovakia here in a manner that would have them ahead on the prescribed tiebreaker criteria by the end of the November international window (points, goal difference and then goals scored – all in H2Hs), but also winning in Portugal next week while hoping the Slovaks lose to the Bosnians in their final match. They do, however, have a chance of advancing to the play-offs to take place in March 2024 based on their UEFA Nations League results.
Knowing the fate that almost certainly faces his team over the next week, the Scandinavians’ boss Åge Hareide is realistically viewing these two games as vital preparations for those play-off encounters, which Iceland almost certainly cannot host due to the country’s climate. And to underline their recent struggles, the Euro 2016 quarter-finalists have beaten only minnows Liechtenstein, San Marino and the Faroe Islands in regulation time in their 21 outings on opposition soil so far this decade (D6, L11).
Players to watch: Dávid Ďuriš delivered the winner in Slovakia’s last fixture and has since earned the best Flashscore rating in two of four league appearances, registering three goals and an assist in those four games. Well known Iceland veteran Gylfi Sigurðsson followed up his brace against Liechtenstein with another in a cup victory for Lyngby late last month.
Hot stat: All but one of Iceland’s last eight losses in opposition territory came with a 2+ goal margin.