In five of Israel’s last eight qualifiers, both teams have managed to score. Iceland, on their travels, have seen both teams score in two of their last three away qualifiers. The previous encounters between Iceland and Israel in the 2022 Nations League ended in 2-2 draws. Israel wary of Iceland’s threat from the air Israel might find themselves outmatched in physicality in Thursday’s Euro 2024 qualification play-off against Iceland, to be played in Hungary.
Alon Hazan’s side returns to Budapest, which served as their makeshift home for recent qualifiers, though it hasn’t been a happy hunting ground. Last November, Israel scraped a draw against Switzerland with a late goal, only to fall to Romania shortly after.
Facing Iceland now, they’re priced similarly to that Romania match, despite Iceland’s shaky away form during the Euro 2024 qualifiers — losing four out of five on the road and conceding multiple goals in each loss.
Goals expected from both sides in Hungary Yet, Iceland have proven a good match for Israel, drawing both Nations League matches, and their physical edge, especially in aerial situations, will be a concern for Israel.
Age Hareide’s younger squad might lack the experience for a breakthrough at this stage, but they’re capable of breaching an Israeli defence that’s only kept clean sheets against significantly weaker opposition in recent years.
With Iceland’s Albert Gudmundsson on a hot streak, scoring 10 goals for Genoa in Serie A, the scene is set for both teams to score in what promises to be an engaging encounter.
