Leo Peterson
Dailysports's expert
Kosovo
Iceland
On March 20, 2025, the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina will host the first playoff match of the Nations League where the national teams of Kosovo and Iceland will face off. We suggest betting on goals in this encounter.
Preview
The winner of this two-legged tie will earn the right to compete in League B - the second tier of the Nations League next season.
The Kosovo national team spent last season in League C, competing with the teams of Romania, Lithuania, and Cyprus. The Kosovars failed to win the group and move up directly but secured second place, allowing them to fight for promotion through the playoffs.
The gap from the group winner, Romania, was a substantial 6 points. However, with the same advantage, Kosovo outpaced Cyprus, confidently taking the second spot. Franco Foda's team only lost to the Romanians, winning all other matches consistently.
The Iceland national team in League B battled with formidable opponents – Wales, Turkey, and Montenegro. At the end of the tournament, Montenegro was relegated, while Iceland, with 7 points, finished in third place. Now the Scandinavians face the playoff stage, where they will fight to remain in the second tier of the Nations League.
Most of Iceland's points were earned in clashes with Montenegro, securing two clean sheet victories with a score of 2-0. They also had a hard-fought 2-2 home draw with the group winner, Wales. However, away matches proved to be a significant problem for the Scandinavians. Matches in Turkey and Wales ended with a total score of 2-7, clearly highlighting the team's weakness away from home.
Probable lineups
- Kosovo: Muric, Vojvoda, Aliti, Krasniqi, Hadergjonaj, Rrbeshtaj, Berisha, Rashica, Zhegrova, Rrahmani, Muriqi
- Iceland: Valdimarsson, Fridriksson, Palsson, Ingason, Sampsted, Thorsteinsson, Traustason, Gudmundsson, Johannesson, Oskarsson, Gudjohnsen
Match facts and H2H
- The Kosovo national team is in good form and has not lost in five consecutive matches.
- Iceland, on the other hand, has managed only one win in their last five encounters.
- Matches involving Kosovo rarely thrill spectators with a plethora of goals – in the last 10 matches, the "both teams to score" bet has only come in once.
- However, Iceland's games are often high-scoring. In four of their last five matches, the "total over 2.5" bet has consistently been successful.
- Iceland has only failed to score in one of their last nine away matches.
- In the history of these teams' encounters, there have been only two matches, both in 2017. Iceland won both – 2-0 at home and 2-1 away.
Prediction
The Kosovo national team performs confidently at home, whereas Iceland faces significant challenges in away matches. However, despite poor results on the road, the Scandinavians consistently find a way to the opponent's goal. Based on this, the "both teams to score" bet seems justified. The odds for this outcome are 1.88.
