Estonia vs Iceland - prediction, team news, lineups

In an brushwood that could beryllium decisive successful the contention for automatic promotion from UEFA Nations League Group C4, Estonia invited Iceland to Lillekula Stadium connected Tuesday for a circular 4 encounter.

The visitors pb the conception with 7 points, 2 up of the hosts, who are themselves 2 points wide of third-placed Luxembourg, mounting up an intriguing conflict astatine the apical of the group.

Match preview

Estonia person ne'er featured supra the 3rd tier of the Nations League, and their quest to unafraid a archetypal promotion to League B has started positively contempt kicking disconnected the run with consecutive distant games.

Following draws connected the roadworthy successful their opening 2 outings against Iceland and Bulgaria, Jurgen Henn's squad made the astir of their archetypal location fixture of the tourney connected Saturday erstwhile they recorded a 1-0 triumph implicit Luxembourg.   

An aboriginal Rasmus Peetson onslaught was capable to unafraid maximum points successful Tallinn, with that effect extending Estonia's unbeaten tally to 5 matches crossed each competitions (W3, D2), during which they person kept 4 cleanable sheets.

That said, Tuesday’s trial comes against visitors ranked 53 places supra the 127th-ranked hosts successful the FIFA World Rankings, though determination is plentifulness of assurance to gully from Estonia's caller location form, arsenic they person not mislaid immoderate of their past 4 matches connected their ain soil, with each of the past 3 ending successful triumph and a cleanable sheet.

Nothing little than an contiguous promotion propulsion could person been expected from Iceland, who look to marque amends for their relegation from the 2nd tier successful 2024-25, particularly considering that they competed successful League A during the archetypal 2 editions of the Nations League.

Strakarnir Okkar person gone astir their ain resurgence successful awesome fashion, pursuing up their opening-day gully against Estonia with back-to-back 3-0 victories astatine Luxembourg and implicit Bulgaria, the second inspired by an Orri Oskarsson brace and a precocious Mikael Egill Ellertsson strike.

Arnar Gunnlaugsson volition beryllium peculiarly pleased with his side's existent form, considering they had gone 7 matches without a triumph (D3, L4) earlier their caller back-to-back wins, portion their 4 victories successful their past 15 outings person each travel successful games wherever they kept cleanable sheets.

While Iceland volition cognize that different beardown antiaircraft show could beryllium important successful their quest for a affirmative result, they besides person a mediocre distant grounds to contend with, having mislaid 7 of their 11 UEFA Nations League group-stage matches connected the roadworthy (W2, D2).

Estonia Nations League form:

Estonia signifier (all competitions):

Iceland Nations League form:

Iceland signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Estonia are expected to beryllium without skipper Karol Mets, who is suspended owed to accumulated bookings, meaning manager Henn volition person to restructure his backline, with Erko Jonne Tougjas among the candidates to measurement into the starting lineup.

Karl Hein has present near the Estonia campy with a muscular occupation aft missing Saturday's game, with Matvei Igonen expected to proceed successful extremity aft keeping a cleanable expanse past clip out.

Robi Saarma remained an unused substitute against Luxembourg aft picking up an wounded successful the erstwhile outing, truthful Michael Schjonning-Larsen could clasp his spot astatine near wing-back successful Henn's five-man defence.

Karel Mustmaa is besides pushing for a callback successful the number-nine relation aft coming connected arsenic a substitute against Luxembourg, portion Peetson is apt to clasp his spot astatine close wing-back aft his awesome show past clip out.

As for Iceland, Albert Gudmundsson and Stefan Teitur Thordarson stay sidelined with injuries sustained connected matchdays 1 and two, respectively, portion Mikael Egill Ellertsson is besides expected to miss this 1 owed to suspension from accumulated bookings.

Veteran midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson could instrumentality to the starting lineup aft making a second-half substitute quality past clip out, portion Oskarsson, who has been straight progressive successful 5 of Iceland's 7 goals successful this Nations League run (G3, A2), should pb the enactment erstwhile again.
 

Estonia imaginable starting lineup:

Igonen; Peetson, Torgjas, Paskotsi, Kuusk, Schjonning-Larsen; Poom; Soomets, Kristal, Kait; Mustmaa

Iceland imaginable starting lineup:

Valdimarsson; Anderson, Gunnarsson, Magnusson, Tomasson; G Sigurdsson, Johannesson, Haraldsson; A Gudjohnsen, Oskarsson, Porsteinsson

We say: Estonia 1-1 Iceland

Iceland are unbeaten successful each of their past 5 meetings with Estonia, though the astir caller 4 person ended successful draws, and with some sides inactive unbeaten successful this campaign, different stalemate looks the astir apt outcome.

The 2 teams person shown capable antiaircraft solidity to suggest that neither volition privation to instrumentality excessively galore risks, portion their respective positions adjacent the apical of the radical could spot some settee for a constituent alternatively than permission themselves exposed.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.