David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Iceland
Kosovo
The second leg of the 2024/25 Nations League playoff between Iceland and Kosovo will take place on March 23 at the "Enrique Roca de Murcia Stadium" in Spain. Kosovo leads on aggregate with a 2-1 advantage, posing a challenging task for Iceland to overcome in the return match. I suggest betting on goals in this match.
Match preview
Arnar Gunnlaugsson's side suffered a 1-2 defeat away in the first leg, marking Iceland's first instance of consecutive losses in the Nations League over the last two campaigns. Notably, the "Vikings" concluded the group stage with an away loss to Wales (1-4).
It should also be noted that in 5 of their last 6 matches in this tournament, the team conceded at least two goals. To retain their place in League B, Iceland must win by at least a two-goal margin. It is important to highlight that this team has never dropped below the second division of the Nations League.
Franco Foda's squad, having won the first leg, secured their fifth victory in six recent Nations League outings. The only setback in this period was due to a technical defeat. To advance to League B, Kosovo only needs to avoid losing the return leg.
In the event of a one-goal defeat, extra time will be played. It's also worth mentioning that Kosovo has never risen above League C in this tournament. Exactly three goals were scored in regular time in 5 of Kosovo's last 7 Nations League matches, underscoring the team's attacking nature and tendency for high-scoring encounters.
Probable lineups
- Iceland: Thorarin Valdimarsson – Logi Thomasson, Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Victor Palsson, Aron Gunnarsson – Isak Johannesson, Mikael Ellertsson, Hakon Haraldsson – Andri Gudjohnsen, Orri Oskarsson, Albert Gudmundsson
- Kosovo: Arijanet Muric – Mergim Vojvoda, Lumbardh Delova, Amir Rrahmani, Leart Paqarada – Elvis Rexhbecaj, Valon Berisha – Ermal Krasniqi, Milot Rashica, Donat Rrudhani – Vedat Muriqi
Match facts and head-to-head
- The teams have met three times – Iceland won twice, with one victory for Kosovo
- The "Both teams to score" bet won in two of the three matches
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet won in two of the three encounters
Prediction
Iceland does not struggle with finishing in the Nations League: their scoring streak in the tournament now stands at 11 consecutive matches. In six of these, the team scored at least two goals, highlighting their attacking prowess. Our bet for the match is "Over 2.0 goals" at 1.66.
