Israel vs Iceland: Betting Odds & Prediction
(Featured image: Alamy Images)
Israel host Iceland in a 2024 European Championships play-off semi-final clash this Thursday in Budapest.
The winners will play Bosnia & Herzegovina or Ukraine in the ‘Path B’ Final next Tuesday for a place at EURO 2024 this summer. Kick-off is set for 7:45pm UK time.
Recent Form
Israel
After two previous unsuccessful ‘Playoff’ campaigns, Israel will hope it’s third time lucky this time around, as they look to reach their first ever Euro Finals. They must play this ‘home’ game at a neutral venue for security reasons because of the current political situation in the Middle East.
We’ve not seen Israel in international action since they finished off their European Qualifying group campaign with a 2-0 victory in Andorra (November 21 st ). It proved to be too little too late though as they ended up third in Group I, with four wins, three draws and three losses to their name.
They would finish seven points behind Romania and two points behind Switzerland, who both qualified straight to the Euro 2024 Finals. Thankfully, their Nations League performance in 2022 has gifted them another opportunity to reach the Euro Finals for the first ever time.
This will be the third ‘home’ game that Alon Hazan’s side have played on the road following the unsettled political situation in the Middle East and they are still looking for their first win on Hungarian soil. They played Euro Qualifiers against Switzerland (drew 1-1) and Romania (lost 1-2) in the space of four days there in November too.
The win against Andorra last time out was the only second time in 25 starts that Israel have managed to keep a clean sheet. They’ve scored on average 1.8 goals a game during those 25 starts and conceded on average exactly the same (1.8 goals per game). Though goals have been on the low side in Israel’s most recent games, with under 2.5 goals occurring in five of their previous six internationals since September.
However, cards have been on the increase. In their last 4 starts (vs Andorra, Romania and Switzerland and Kosovo), 22 yellows and three reds were dished out.
🗓️ Play-off semi-finals: Thursday 21 March
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) March 18, 2024
🗓️ Play-off finals: Tuesday 26 March
Who will claim the 3 remaining spots at #EURO2024?! pic.twitter.com/2I4aeq7YJW
Iceland
Iceland would fare even worse during their European Qualifying group campaign, picking up just one point a game on average (compared to Israel’s 1.5). The Viking claps have been few and far between since Iceland’s heroic run to the Euro 2016 Quarter-Finals. They bowed out at the Play-off ‘Finals’ phase and missed out on a spot at the Euro 2020 Finals. They also finished fourth in Group J during qualifying. Like Israel, only their performance during the 2022 Nations Leagues competition has earned them a shot at the Euro 2024 Finals.
Worryingly for Iceland ahead of this clash in Hungary, their away form in Euro Qualifying matches during 2023 was pretty shocking. They beat Liechtenstein 7-0 in Vaduz, but would lose all four of their other games on the road, conceding on average three goals a game during those defeats.
Age Hareide’s side have been in action more recently than the Israelis though, beating Guatemala and Honduras in two friendlies in Florida in January. However, 1-0 and 2-0 successes there wouldn’t have boosted the confidence too greatly.
If recent encounters between Israel and Iceland have anything to go by, we should be in for an entertaining affair in Budapest. Both Nation League encounters in Haifa and Reykjavík finished 2-2, with two goals scored in either half in both matches. And previous to that, a 2010 friendly in Tel Aviv produced five goals.
Prediction
We’re expecting an open affair in Budapest, as both sides struggle to keep clean sheets. Don’t be surprised if there’s an early strike too, with first goals being scored in the sixth , 25th and ninth minutes in the sides last three head-to-heads.