Can Iceland stop Portugal?
What joy did the Icelanders give us at the EM 2016 when they even reached the quarter-finals as an underdog. But those heydays are long gone. The team from the far north will struggle to even qualify for Euro 2024 in Germany. On Matchday 4, Portugal visit Laugardalsvöllur in Reykjavik on Tuesday (20 June 2023), where the Group J match kicks off.
In Liechtenstein, Iceland's national football team shot the frustration out of their souls on the second day of the European Championship qualifier. The Scandinavians won 7-0 against the underdog, but they should have saved a goal or two for the next task. Because after the game at Bosnia-Herzegovina was lost 3-0 at the start, Iceland lost 2-1 in a very important game to Slovakia on the third matchday. Important because Bosnia, like the Slovaks, will probably be the main contenders in the fight for second place in Group J. But meanwhile there are already ten international matches in which Iceland has not won at all, apart from the defeat in Liechtenstein.
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Iceland in crisis
Before the start of the European Championship qualifiers, Iceland only played 1-1 against Estonia and lost another test against Scandinavian neighbor Sweden 1-2. At the Baltic Cup, the Icelanders twice drew against Lithuania (0-0) and Latvia (1-1), who were then defeated at least on penalties. After the conclusion of the Nations League, Iceland's national team also lost two friendlies against the 2022 World Cup participants Saudi Arabia and South Korea, each 0-1. The last four meetings of the Icelandic teams have all ended with at least three goals. But be careful with your betting tip here, because seven games in a row before that were only Under 2.5.
Unstoppable Portugal
In this analysis, there is initially nothing wrong with the previous appearances of the big favorite in Group G. Because Portugal marched tightly through the European Championship qualification and didn't show any weaknesses. Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. first defeated Liechtenstein 4-0, then even won 6-0 in Luxembourg on the second matchday. After that, things continued in a commanding manner: with an equally clear 3-0 win at home against Bosnia-Herzegovina. And so the Portuguese have not only won their first three games, but even played all three keeping a clean sheet. The Portuguese national team has won seven of their last nine international matches. It should also be interesting for a betting tip: None of the last 14 matches ended in a draw.
The Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar was changeable for the Iberians. Because the elimination in the quarterfinals against Morocco (0-1) was of course a bitter disappointment. In particular, because Portugal's national football team had previously defeated Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16. Against Ghana (3-2) and Uruguay (2-0), Portugal had secured their ticket to the knockout round early in the group stage. A 1-2 loss against South Korea didn't matter anymore.
However, what caught our eye in this Over/Under analysis: seven of the last nine matches ended with at least three goals. Over 3.5 even worked out five times. The Portuguese also scored at least twice seven times. And they didn't concede a goal five times in those nine matches.
Iceland - Portugal : What to expect?
For the fourth time these two countries meet in a direct duel. It is a fact in this analysis that Iceland has never won against the Portuguese. In their strong European Championship finals in 2016, however, the Scandinavians achieved a respectable result with a 1:1. The two nations had previously met in the qualifier for Euro 2012. The Iberians won these two encounters. In Iceland, the Portuguese managed a 3-1 victory. The second leg on the Iberian peninsula was even more goal-scoring. The home side prevailed 5:3 after they had already made everything clear at the break (3:0).
Portugal will also win the fourth match in Group J, which is why the tip we recommend is 2. The form curves of both teams speak for this, but also the direct duels. Because the Portuguese have been completely sovereign so far and have not even conceded a goal, Betting Tip 2 with Win To Nil is also worthwhile for better odds - i.e. the Portuguese national team wins without conceding a goal in Iceland.
- Portugal to win
- Portugal to win to nil (risk)
* All odds and markets are correct at time of publication and subject to change.