Most analysts predicted Iceland and Nigeria to be the two teams that failed to make it out of Group D at the start of the World Cup. They were seen as a clear tier behind Croatia and Argentina, but one of the two is in a decent position heading into this match. Iceland picked up a draw against Argentina and now they have a chance of making it into the knockout rounds. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s chances rely on picking up a win here, so they will be pressing to grab the three points.
The most anticipated sporting event in the world comes around once every four years, so don’t miss any of the 2018 World Cup. This match will take place at Volgograd Arena in Volgograd at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, June 22, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX.
World Cup Group Stage Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Nigeria +192
Iceland +172
Draw +204
Over/Under 2
Last Match
I guess we should have seen this coming from Iceland. Iceland made a big splash onto the world scene two years ago in France. There, they not only made it out of the Group Stage in their inaugural appearance at the Euros, but they were able to beat England in the knockout rounds to get to the Quarterfinals.
It shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise to see them draw Argentina in their first match given that showing two years ago. Iceland sat back and looked strong behind the ball. They weren’t able to get much possession, but their bend-but-don’t-break philosophy worked well in a 1-1 tie. They were dominated on the stat sheet, but Iceland had a few really good chances and the draw was deserved.
At first glance, Nigeria looks to have been relatively even with Croatia. The possession was close, and both the shots and shots on goal were identical. However, the Nigerians were simply outclassed in their first match. Croatia had much better scoring opportunities, and the 2-0 score line could have been worse for Nigeria. They are going to need to shake off that performance here.
Player to Watch
Gylfi Sigurdsson is the primary playmaker for Iceland. Sigurdsson was injured for much of the club season and didn’t get the chance to make a big impact for Everton, but he has proven his value at the World Cup. He was superb in his role as the team’s primary starter on the break and did what he could to halt the Argentine onslaught.
Sigurdsson is going to have more of a chance to shine against Nigeria. Iceland won’t completely park the bus in this match, and that will give him better opportunities to make things happen. He has some nice deft touches and can find hard chargers on the wings pretty easily.
Coaching Angle
Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr put the blame for the loss on their strategy when it comes to defending set pieces. Croatia’s first goal came off of an awkward bounce that ended up being an own goal off of corner kick, and the second came when an obvious foul in the box on a corner kick led to a Luka Modric penalty kick.
However, Croatia had a number of near misses in the run of play too. Mario Mandzukic nearly netted twice and Croatia had a couple other good chances outside of set pieces. Rohr’s statement was likely meant to assuage the Nigerian media, but there are much deeper problems at root here.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
We didn’t see much out of Nigeria’s offense in their first match, and I’m not optimistic they will have much of an attack against Iceland. The small island nation is defensively stolid, and they won’t allow many chances. That makes the under a great bet in this match, as well as Iceland on the three-way line.
World Cup Group Stage Odds: Iceland 1, Nigeria 0
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
