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Iceland national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Sep 11, 2023 at 7.45pm UK
Laugardalsvollur
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team

Iceland
1 - 0
Bosnia H'vina

FT(HT: 0-0)

Hadzikadunic (29'), Milicevic (81')

Preview: Iceland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Monday's European Championship Qualifying clash between Iceland and Bosnia-Herzegovina, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Bosnia-Herzegovina will be bidding to make it back-to-back victories in Group J when they continue their Euro 2024 qualification campaign away to Iceland on Monday night.

The visitors, who are fourth in the section on six points, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 win over Liechtenstein, while fifth-placed Iceland suffered a 3-1 loss to Luxembourg last time out.


Match preview

Iceland's Birkir Bjarnason and teammates celebrate after the match on September 27, 2022© Reuters

Iceland famously competed in Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, progressing to the quarter-finals of the European Championship in their only appearance in the finals of the competition.

Our Boys were not present at Euro 2020, though, and it is very difficult to imagine them being in a position to finish first or second in Group J due to their struggles in the section thus far.

Indeed, Age Hareide's side have picked up just three points from their five games in the group, which has left them in fifth position, seven points behind second-placed Slovakia.

Iceland thumped Liechtenstein 7-0 at the end of March but have been beaten in their last three matches, including a 3-1 reverse away to Luxembourg on Friday night.

The national side now have three straight home matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, and they will need to win all three to put themselves in a position to potentially sneak into the top two in the closing stages of the qualification campaign.

Slovakia's David Hancko in action with Bosnia and Herzegovina's Amir Hadziahmetovic on March 26, 2023© Reuters

Bosnia-Herzegovina, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 success over Liechtenstein on Friday, with Edin Dzeko on the scoresheet early on before an own goal from Simon Luchinger made it 2-0.

Sandro Wolfinger halved the deficit in the 21st minute, but the home side held on to secure all three points, which moved them onto six points in Group J, which is enough for fourth in the table.

Meho Kodro's side are four points behind second-placed Slovakia on the same number of matches, demonstrating the importance of picking up a positive result in this match.

Bosnia-Herzegovina have never qualified for the finals of a European Championship, but they were present at the 2014 World Cup, being eliminated in the group stage of the competition.

The visitors beat Iceland 3-0 in the reverse match back in March, but they had suffered three straight defeats in the section before returning to winning ways on Friday night against Liechtenstein.

Iceland Euro Champ Qualifying form:


Iceland form (all competitions):


Bosnia-Herzegovina Euro Champ Qualifying form:


Bosnia-Herzegovina form (all competitions):



Team News

Edin Dzeko in action for Bosnia-Herzegovina on September 4, 2020© Reuters

Iceland will be without the services of central defender Horour Magnusson, who was sent off in the team's 3-1 defeat to Luxembourg on Friday night.

Alfons Sampsted could therefore come into the starting side, while there will again be a spot in midfield for Burnley's Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

Alfreo Finnbogason has scored 16 times for the national team and should retain his position in the final third of the field, with 20-year-old Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, who plays for Lille, also expected to start.

Bosnia-Herzegovina have not reported any fresh injury concerns from their win over Liechtenstein, so it would not be a shock to see the same XI take to the field for this match.

Dzeko might now be entering the latter stages of his career, but the 37-year-old remains his country's star player, and he was again on the scoresheet on Friday night.

Nemanja Bilbija is likely to retain his spot in the final third of the field, while there will be familiar faces in the shape of Miralem Pjanic, Rade Krunic and Sead Kolasinac in the starting side.


Iceland possible starting lineup:
Runarsson; Lunddal, Palsson, Sampsted, Finnsson; S Magnusson, Traustason, Gudmundsson, Porsteinsson; Finnbogason, Haraldsson

Bosnia-Herzegovina possible starting lineup:
Sehic; Milicevic, Hadzikadunic, Kolasinac; Dedic, Nalic, Pjanic, Krunic, Demirovic; Dzeko, Bilbija


SM words green background

We say: Iceland 1-2 Bosnia-Herzegovina

A win for the visitors here would put them firmly in the qualification picture, and we are expecting Bosnia-Herzegovina to triumph. Iceland were disappointing in their defeat to Luxembourg, and it is difficult to back them to pick up a positive result with any real confidence.



For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data


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Game History

How you voted: Iceland vs Bosnia H'vina

Iceland
23.7%
Draw
21.5%
Bosnia-Herzegovina
54.8%
93
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

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Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

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Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

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Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

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Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

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Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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