Israel vs Iceland Prediction & Match Preview

• Iceland lost six of their ten qualifiers in Group J.
• Eran Zahavi bagged eight goals in his previous six appearances for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
• Iceland allowed six goals in the last two qualifying games.

Szusza Ferenc Stadion in Budapest will host the UEFA European Championship qualifying playoffs semi-finals tie between Israel and Iceland on Thursday evening. The winner of this single match will lock horns with the winner of the clash between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Ukraine in the playoffs final next Tuesday.

With a place at the EURO 2024 on the line, the tension will be high on Thursday evening in Budapest. Israel enter the game as slight favourites according to the bookmakers. They came third in qualifying group E. Israeli outfit finished the qualifications with four wins, three draws, and three losses. They were seven points shy of section winners Romania and two points behind Switzerland in second place.

Iceland had a very disappointing qualifying campaign of their own. They’ve managed just three wins in ten outings in the group with Portugal, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Liechtenstein. The lack of defensive meticulousness has been Iceland’s main problem. The Scandinavians allowed 16 goals in 10 qualifying affairs.

Recent Meetings

These two sides were placed to the same group in the previous edition of the UEFA Nations League. They have shared spoils in both clashes on the occasion. Interestingly, the scoreline was 2-2 in both matches.

Iceland are still searching for their maiden win over Israel. This will be their sixth attempt.

Israel have scored at least two goals in each of the previous five meetings with Iceland.

Israel vs Iceland Prediction

Israel did not finish the regular qualifications on a high. They took just one point from the matches against Kosovo, Switzerland, and Romania. Nevertheless, their players are in a much better form than Iceland’s going into this tie. Players from Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa make the core of Israeli national team. Both teams made it to the last-16 round of the UEFA Conference League this season. Iceland’s golden generation is past their prime. Captain Aron Gunnarsson will not feature on Thursday. Neither will experienced players like Birkir Bjarnason or Gylfi Sigurdsson. Finally, Iceland had a catastrophic campaign in the regular qualifications. We will back Israel to win at the 2.25 odds.

The second pick would be Eran Zahavi to score anytime at the 2.87 odds. Zahavi has been on a sensational form lately. The 36-year-old veteran has scored eight goals in his previous six appearances for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Three of these eight goals have come in a Conference League double-header against Greek heavyweights Olympiacos in recent weeks. Iceland shipped six goals in the last two qualifiers against Slovakia and Portugal. We see big value in backing Zahavi to score on Thursday at such a lucrative price-tag.

Steffen Schmidt- March 19, 2024

Israel vs Iceland Betting Tips

Israel to win

OK

	2.24 Odds
	2.20 Odds

Eran Zahavi to score anytime

OK

2.75 Odds

Correct Score: Israel 2-0

OK

	10.00 Odds
	10.00 Odds