England v Iceland – Betting Preview
Iceland’s dramatic late winner against Austria helped them to leapfrog Portugal into second spot of Group F, setting up a second round encounter with England. As the smallest nation ever to reach a major tournament, their Euro 2016 adventure is set to continue.
Sportingly Better picks out the best bets for the upcoming game, as England and Iceland do battle for a spot in the quarter finals.
Euro 2016 Betting Tips
England (1.53) v Iceland (8.50); Draw (3.90)
England
With qualification guaranteed, Hodgson chose to give some players a rest in the final group game against Slovakia. He’s come under some pressure for this decision after it resulted in England finishing second and falling into a tougher half of the draw.
Overall, squad players failed to impress in the goalless draw and familiar faces like Rooney and Alli are sure to reclaim their spots in the starting line-up against Iceland. Having had plenty of time to recover from the group games, England should be ready and raring to go.
We can expect more of the same from England, who will dominate possession against Iceland and the scoreline will be down to whether they can take their chances. Austria had 65% of the possession in their 2-1 loss to Iceland, so England must be prepared to break down a team that will be happy to park the bus and break on the counter.
With potentially more Euro 2016 fixtures on the cards for England, Roy’s decision to rest some players against Slovakia could still prove to be a wise one, especially if they can secure a morale-boosting victory over Iceland.
Iceland
It has been a terrific tournament from Iceland so far, having held Portugal to a draw in the opener, to the last gasp winner against Austria. It has been a dream come true for this small nation and one which they’d like to continue.
Despite conceding possession, Iceland have scored in each of their group games and have limited their opposition to a single goal.
Expect them to go out in this game with nothing to lose and to work their socks off. Whether their efforts will result in an unlikely quarter final remains to be seen but their fans can be proud of this admirable side.
Match Odds
England are clearly big favourites going into this match with odds of 1.53 at the time of writing. They are sure to dominate possession, which will inevitably lead to chances.
The big question is whether these chances are taken. The longer it remains goalless, the more nervous England players will become and belief will surely grow in Iceland’s players of an unlikely upset.
Over/Under 2.5 goals
The market is favouring a low-scoring affair with under 2.5 goals trading at 1.44 in the goals markets.
Having failed to score against Slovakia, there appears to be little faith in England’s attackers to find the back of the net. However, it should not be forgotten that England are still creating plenty of chances and have strikers like Kane and Vardy who have the finishing ability to punish Iceland.
Verdict
If England can get an early goal, Iceland could very well be in trouble. This should be an entertaining game of football, where England will look to correct past failures where they have dominated possession in group games but have failed to make it count in the scoreline.
Recommended Football Tips
Back England to win @1.53
Back over 1.5 team goals for England @2.00
Author Credit: Jonathan Day
Image Credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roy_Hodgson_Euro_2012_vs_Italy_(cropped).jpg
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