Iceland vs Montenegro prediction: EUROPE: UEFA Nations League – League B betting tips on match 2024-09-05 18:45.
[p]After failing to qualify for the Euro 2024 finals, Iceland will hope to crack the UEFA Nations League code starting against Montenegro in Group 4B, which also features Wales and Turkey. The expanded format rewards the top-two teams with a chance of promotion, but the Nordic Islanders will have to be on the ball here having never won a match in their Nations League history (D4, L10).[/p]
[p]Each of those four draws came in the last edition, where Iceland mounted comebacks after conceding first. The only exception in that run of results came at home, although it was something of an anomaly because the hosts have conceded the match opener in each of the other six Nations League home games (D1, L5). Coach Ă…ge Hareide will be looking to buck that trend however, and you cannot take his team lightly as discovered by England in their 1-0 friendly loss to Iceland in June.[/p]
[p]Montenegro are one of the newest UEFA entrants, having joined in 2007, and have a better record in this competition than their hosts. The visitors have won nearly half of their historical Nations League matches (W8, D3, L7) and saw themselves promoted from Group C in the 2020/21 edition –  something which they’ll hope to emulate this time around. Interestingly, they haven’t played a competitive match since last November, but head coach Robert ProsineÄŤki reckons “that’s how it is in sports” and is ready to mount a challenge now they are back.[/p]
[p]It won’t be easy however, as Montenegro were beaten in their last two friendlies, as well as in their last two Nations League matches, and with three of those four defeats seeing them fail to score, the visitors will be feeling the pressure on the road. Worryingly, finding the back of the net remains problematic for the Brave Falcons on the road in this competition, as they also failed to score in three of their last four away Nations League matches.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Back in national colours, Gylfi Sigurðsson struck a goal for Valur in the Iceland domestic league over the weekend. Iceland’s all-time top goalscorer scored a brace in his last national appearance, and scoring a goal was something which Montenegro’s all-time top goalscorer Stevan Jovetić also achieved in his last game in June. [/p]
[p]Hot streak: Montenegro’s last six away Nations League matches have seen at least one team fail to score.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Sridhar Bhamidi[/i][/p]