Noah vs Vikingur Reykjavik prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-11-27 17:45.
[p]No side in the short history of the UEFA Conference League has ever had to bounce back from an eight-goal defeat, but that’s the task that lies ahead of Armenian side Noah after they were thrashed by Chelsea on matchday three (8-0). That followed a 1-0 loss at Rapid Wien in their previous European outing, but to their credit, they’ve won seven consecutive domestic league matches since defeating Mladá Boleslav 2-0 on the opening matchday.[/p]
[p]Noah’s maiden appearance in the main draw of a UEFA competition has therefore quickly soured after that home win in their inaugural such fixture. That win over Mladá Boleslav forms part of a remarkable 14-game winning streak across all competitions as the nominal home side – featuring nine clean sheets – but playing their European home games away from their regular stadium may dent their confidence.[/p]
[p]Visitors VĂkingur Reykjavik are on the opposite trajectory, responding from a 4-0 defeat to Omonia on matchday one with back-to-back Conference League wins. As a result, the Icelandic side are only out of the eight automatic qualification places on goal difference, but keeping up the charge in their first UEFA main draw campaign could be tricky given that their domestic league season finished back in October. Successful head coach Arnar Gunnlaugsson being strongly linked to replace 71-year-old Age Hareide as the Iceland national team manager could also turn out to be a distraction. [/p]
[p]This fixture will be just their second in a month, so shaking off the rust will be pivotal in improving on their patchy away form in the Conference League over the years (W2, D2, L3). VĂkingur failed to score in four of the five matches they failed to win in that sequence, so bringing their shooting boots with them to Armenia will be key to a positive outcome.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Noah defender Pablo scored a brace at the weekend and could therefore be swapped in after being benched for the dismal 8-0 loss to Chelsea, but he’ll need to watch his discipline if he’s to make his first appearance in the league phase given that he’s already been sent off twice this season. VĂkingur full-back Karl Gunnarsson is also dangerous in the final third, directly contributing to both goals in his side’s matchday three victory over Borac Banja Luka (G1, A1).[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Just two of Noah’s last ten matches across all competitions saw both teams score.[/p]
[p]Written by Ryan Fisher[/p]