Cymru’s UEFA Nations League campaign continues with a trip to Iceland, as Craig Bellamy’s side looks to build on a promising start under their new manager. A solid home draw against Türkiye was followed by an impressive away victory over Montenegro, leaving Cymru with four points from their opening two fixtures. Bellamy’s start to international management has been encouraging, and his team will travel to Reykjavik in high spirits.
Although Cymru have reason to be confident, Iceland present a formidable challenge, particularly on home soil. The ‘Land of Fire and Ice’ has only lost twice at home since January 2022, with both defeats—against Slovakia and Portugal—coming in the dying moments. Iceland’s strength at home, combined with their experienced squad, suggests a difficult night for the Welsh team.
Cymru’s Key Players
Bellamy will be hoping Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson can carry his excellent club form into international duty. Johnson has scored six goals in six matches for Spurs, and although he has gone five games without a goal for Cymru, his last international strike came in a 4-1 win over Finland in March. With his confidence high, Bellamy will expect him to rediscover his scoring touch.
Another player to watch is Harry Wilson, who was instrumental in the last round of internationals. The Fulham midfielder created the most chances during the 1-1 draw with Türkiye and netted the winner in Cymru’s 1-0 victory over Montenegro. Wilson will be a key figure for Bellamy’s side once again.
Cymru are likely to stick with the back-three formation that has brought them success in recent years. However, with midfield absences, including Aaron Ramsey and Ethan Ampadu, Bellamy will need to make some adjustments to his line-up.
Iceland’s Danger Men
Iceland’s squad boasts several experienced players who could cause problems for Cymru. Former Burnley midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson is in good form, having registered assists in his last two international appearances and scored twice for his new club, Al-Orobah FC, this season.
Familiar to Welsh fans is ex-Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, who remains a pivotal figure for Iceland. Sigurdsson assisted in their 2-1 win over Montenegro last month and is likely to feature heavily again. Meanwhile, Plymouth Argyle’s Victor Pálsson has struggled for game time at club level but scored in Iceland’s defeat to Türkiye and is expected to retain his place in the squad.
Iceland will, however, be without former Cardiff City midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, with manager Age Hareide stating that the veteran player needs to compete at a higher level if he is to be considered for selection again.
Team News: Cymru
A surprise inclusion in Cymru’s squad is Swansea City’s Joe Allen. The 34-year-old midfielder had retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup but has returned following conversations with Bellamy. His return comes at a crucial time, as Cymru are without key midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Aaron Ramsey.
David Brooks, Nathan Broadhead, and Wes Burns also make their return to the squad after missing out on September’s internationals. However, Leeds United winger Dan James remains unavailable due to injury.
Form Guide
Iceland head into this match on the back of mixed results. A 2-1 home victory over Montenegro in their Nations League opener was followed by a 3-1 defeat to Türkiye. This inconsistency has been a recurring theme, as demonstrated by their loss to the Netherlands and Ukraine, sandwiched around a shock 1-0 win over England at Wembley in June.
Cymru, despite failing to qualify for Euro 2024 after a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Poland, have shown resilience under Bellamy. The team have only lost once in 90 minutes in their last 12 matches. However, a series of frustrating draws, including those against Armenia and Gibraltar, suggests there is still room for improvement.
How to watch
Tv Channel: The Iceland v Cymru game will be shown live on S4C, BBC iPlayer and S4C Online/Clic.
Kick off: 19:45, Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavik
Date: Friday 11th October
Prediction
Despite Cymru’s strong start under Bellamy, they will face a stern test in Iceland. The hosts may be inconsistent, but their home form is strong, and this could make for a tightly contested affair. Neither side has met recently, with their last encounter dating back to 2014, but Iceland’s shock win over England at Wembley will not have been forgotten by Bellamy and his staff.
Both teams missed out on qualification for Euro 2024, but Cymru have proven hard to beat over the last year. With that in mind, a closely fought draw seems the most likely outcome.
Our Prediction: Iceland 1-1 Cymru.
