We’ve arrived at the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying playoffs as twelve nations attempt to make their way through to the big tournament this summer. These teams have put in a great deal of effort in order to get to this stage and with just two games separating them and glory, they’ll do everything in their power to get across the finish line. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the upcoming clash between Israel and Iceland.
Israel Form GuideIsrael have qualified for the World Cup on one occasion, and they’ve never qualified for the European Championships. The interesting part about it is that they often seem to be in the mix in qualifying, but more often than not, they lose a game they should win or they just fall away in the final few games. Moving forward, they need to work on their development if they’re going to get back to where they once were.
Back in November, Israel has a pretty busy international break. They lost to Kosovo and Romania, drew with Switzerland and won 2-0 against Andorra, which hardly inspires much confidence for their upcoming test.
Iceland Form GuideThat sensational 2016 Iceland side feels a long way away from where they are right now. They served as the ultimate underdog story and although many still look at them in that light, we’d argue that the shoe doesn’t really fit anymore. Perhaps if they can get back to the root of their initial style and capitalise on their chances like they used to, they could start to surge back into contention.
Iceland failed to impress in November as their qualification campaign came to an end with defeats to Slovakia and Portugal. They did, however, rebound nicely in January with friendly wins over Guatemala and Honduras.
Match PredictionOne side is much stronger than the other here and we don’t think that’s particularly controversial to say. Israel, in our view, are going to struggle to get anything going in the final third, which is why we’re going to back Iceland to secure the win and reach the final.
