Iceland take on the Czech Republic in an international friendly match in Doha this week, with the Scandinavian side hoping to continue their run of good form into next year’s World Cup. The away side once again missed out on a place in a major tournament, with Karel Jarolím’s men definitely the underdogs for victory.
Friendly Match – Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha – Wednesday 8th November – 14:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 11/5 at Skybet |
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Iceland
Czech RepublicMatch Preview
Having made a name for themselves after their victory over England at Euro 2016 in France, Iceland have continued their impressive run of form, finishing top of I in order to make their first ever World Cup Finals. Having become one of the hardest teams to beat across Europe over recent times, Iceland take on the Czech Republic in Doha on Wednesday afternoon, with a whole host of English-based players set to be involved. For those interested in placing a bet on one of the first matches during the upcoming international break, let’s take a closer look at the two teams, as well as our top tip for the match.
Iceland Team News & Form
Iceland recorded a comfortable victory over minnows Kosovo to secure their place in Russia next summer, one of seven wins for Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men during qualifying. Despite not being a team that scores a significant amount of goals, with just 16 goals coming from their ten World Cup qualifying matches, Iceland are a side who have developed a reputation for their hard-work and commitment. However, the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Aron Gunnarsson and Birkir Bjarnason are players who can cause anyone problems on their day, with the Everton man especially a danger from set pieces. A total of six British-based players could line-up against the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
Czech Republic Team News & Form
The Czech Republic come into this fixture off the back of a 5-0 win over minnows San Marino, however this was just one of four wins in their recent World Cup qualifying campaign. Manager Jarolím does not have a wealth of talent to select from, with the likes of Marek Suchy, Vladimir Darida and Vaclav Kadlec among their most recognisable players. Despite their struggles, the Czech Republic have shown some solid defensive performances of late, conceding just ten goals in their ten qualifying matches.
Head to Head
The two teams have met five times in competitive fixtures, with the Czech Republic having won three of such encounters, as well as registering two draws. However, Iceland won an entertaining match last time the two clubs met in Euro 2016 qualifying, with the Scandinavian side coming out on top by 2-1.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite playing this game away from their normal home, it comes as little surprise that it is Iceland who are the favourites for victory with many online bookmakers due to their recent form. Iceland can be backed at best odds of 13/8 at William Hill, while a surprise victory for the Czech Republic in Doha can be found at odds of 15/8 with the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on the Iceland or Draw market when they take on the Czech Republic in Doha, which can be found at best odds of 21/50 at Ladbrokes.