Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the semi-final matches of the Icelandic League Cup will take place on Wednesday evening in Reykjavik, where at the "Glydarendi" arena, the local Valur will face Akranes. Here is the prediction for this match from Dailysports experts.
Valur
The "Thrushes" finished in second place in the Icelandic championship and will compete in the Conference League qualifiers this summer. In 27 matches, Valur accumulated 55 points, trailing the league winner, Vikingur, by 11 points. In 14 home matches, Olafur Johannesson's team secured ten victories, suffering defeats only twice.
The Icelandic championship starts only in April, and currently, teams are playing matches in cup competitions. In the Reykjavik Cup, specifically, the "Thrushes" finished third in the group, but in the League Cup, the team performed significantly better, topping their group. In the five matches of the group stage, Valur secured four victories, with just one defeat.
Akranes
The "Yellow-Blacks" had a very strong previous season and rightfully finished in first place in the First Division. In 22 matches, Akranes achieved 15 victories, losing only three times. They outpaced their closest rival, Afturelding, by six points.
Consequently, Akranes returns to the elite division of Iceland straight away after a season. As for the League Cup, in the five matches of the group stage, Jon Thor Hauksson's team secured three victories, one draw, and one defeat, earning a total of 10 points. Interestingly, Akranes hasn't lost any matches away from home in the First Division, securing victories in nine instances.
Interesting Facts about the Match and Head-to-Head History
- In 2022, Valur defeated Akranes twice in the championship and then again in February 2023 in the League Cup.
- Both teams scored in only two out of the last five matches.
- Akranes has lost three consecutive matches on Valur's field, although they achieved two away victories before that.
Valur vs Akranes Prediction
Valur should capitalize on the home advantage and progress further. Our prediction for the match is "Valur to win with a handicap (-1.5)" with odds of 1.55.
