Slovakia can seal their place at Euro 2024 with just a point when they welcome Iceland to Bratislava on Thursday.
A win over Luxembourg on matchday eight has put the hosts on the brink of a third successive finals appearance, taking them five points clear in the group.
For Iceland to keep themselves in contention, they must win this match by any scoreline except 1-0, because a 2-1 win for Slovakia in the reverse means they would still have the edge on head-to-head with three points separating the sides.
If Iceland win 2-1, they will have the upper hand on goal difference, while a win of any other scoreline would give them the ascendancy in the head-to-head record.
However, they would need Slovakia to lose in Bosnia, Luxembourg to drop points, as well as picking up a win themselves away to a Portugal side who have won every game so far in the section.
It looks far-fetched, and it is incredibly unlikely, but Iceland will at least have a playoff place to fall back on thanks to their performance in the last Nations League campaign.
0 Comments