Iceland vs Wales

Laugardalsvöllur is the venue as Iceland and Wales go head-to-head in a must-win UEFA Nations League fixture.

Iceland cannot afford a slip-up in their first encounter against Wales since 1984 following a disheartening 3-1 defeat to Turkey last time out. Just as it looked like Age Hareide’s side could find their footing in the Nations League with a 2-0 home triumph against Montenegro in their opening Group B4 outing, another upset brought Iceland back down to earth, marking their 11th defeat in the competition’s relatively short history (W1, D4). A lack of consistency has plagued Iceland’s bid to return among Europe’s elite, with the hosts alternating between winning (3) and losing (3) across their last six internationals. On a more positive note, they’ve racked up a four-game unbeaten streak on home soil (W3, D1), with each win yielding a clean sheet.

Meanwhile, confidence is back in the Wales camp after two unanswered goals inside the opening three minutes inspired them to a 2-1 away win against Montenegro last time out. New manager Craig Bellamy has enjoyed a decent start to his tenure (W1, D1), helping the Dragons put a four-game winless run behind them (D2, L2). However, the visitors cannot take anything for granted in Reykjavik, even though they’ve got the better of Iceland in their last three meetings. Yet, they boast an impressive H2H record (W5, D1, L1). That would mean next to nothing unless Wales can find form on the road after picking up just two victories across their last ten away matches (D3, L5). Ominously, three of those five defeats came in this competition.