Ísland er án spilavíta — en Íslendingar veðja milljörðum á netinu
Ef þú gengur um götur Reykjavíkur sérðu hvorki blikkandi spilakassa, pókerborð né risastór spilavíti sem…
Iceland vs. Montenegro, A battle in Reykjavík
Fri Sep 6, 2024
Today, Iceland hosts Montenegro at Laugardalsvöllur in Reykjavik, the first match of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League pitting two teams against each other known more for their defensive resolve rather than attacking flair. With just two places separating them in the FIFA World Rankings, this is a contest that is expected to be well-contested. But with struggles in front of the goal recently from both teams, perhaps a glut of goals may just not be what the fans will get as Iceland and Montenegro go into this contest with cautious mindsets.
Low-Scoring Game Ahead
Iceland and Montenegro have made names for themselves as teams capable of taking a toll on any top team. Take Iceland, for instance; their 1-0 win over England in June was a case in point. Still, neither team has been reliable at finding the back of the net. Iceland’s last home match was an outlier, a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein, considering seven of their last ten home matches have seen less than 2.5 goals. It’s no different for Montenegro, who have had six of their last ten away matches finish with less than three goals.
This suggests the setting for a match in which neither team is likely to take any unnecessary risks, perhaps setting up a conservative and cagey contest.
Iceland’s Focus on Nations League Glory
It’s an important journey for Iceland, who begins another meaningful match in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League campaign. Under head coach Age Hareide, Iceland wasn’t able to make it to Euro 2024 as it lost 2-1 to Ukraine in a playoff final earlier this year. Those near misses have tended to become a trend. Historically, Iceland has qualified for only two major tournaments: the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 World Cup.
Now fully focused on the 2026 World Cup, Iceland will be hoping to get off on the right foot in the Nations League. Montenegro sits in their League B group along with Turkey and Wales, and Iceland could see this as a good chance to show early assertion. A win against Montenegro would be an important step in the right direction toward gaining momentum for the rest of the campaign.
Inconsistent Montenegro
As head coach Robert Prosinečki leads his team into the match, Montenegro seeks to rebound after failing to qualify into Euro 2024 with a roster that features veteran forward Stevan Jovetić, finishing third in their qualification group and never qualifying for a World Cup.
Up until this match, inconsistent they have been: beaten by Belgium and Georgia in friendlies in June, they had earlier wins in the year against Belarus and North Macedonia. Montenegro has proven they can compete, though their consistency remains in question.
That inconsistency has been reflected in recent times with Montenegro’s performance in the Nations League, where, after promotion from League C in the 2020-21 edition, they finished third in Group 3 of League B in 2022-23. They lost to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Finland in their last two Nations League matches. The last win in the competition came in June 2022, beating Romania 3-0.
Rare Meeting Between the Two Nations
This will be only the second meeting between Iceland and Montenegro, who for the first time met in February 2012 when Montenegro won 2-1 in a friendly match. This time around, though, Iceland is considered the slight favorite, especially since they have the home field advantage. The ability of Iceland to produce decent results, such as the victory over England, gives them the slight edge against their Balkan rivals.
Prediction
This is a match most likely to be tight with limited goals, considering the difficulties both teams have currently in scoring goals. Considering Iceland’s good defensive record at home, the often-unpredictable form of Montenegro when away from home, a slim win for the hosts should be what is expected. The best result that describes the outcome of this match is a 1-0 win for Iceland, though a goalless draw may also be possible should both sides fail to hit their finishing touch.
The people betting would be just fine with under 2.5 goals. Even though the match is expected not to be full of goals, it will be an avenue that is very important for both teams to begin finding their feet in the Nations League in order to gather momentum into more matches. If you plan on placing bets on todays match, or any matches in general, Nine Casino is the platform you want to use.
