Iceland value to book their place in the World Cup

Like the movie Meet Joe Black (who said I was not up on modern culture) when it comes to two legged play-offs you can usually afford to skip 90 minutes of the action and still get the best bits by watching the second 90 minutes.

This is certainly the case in the Croatia and Iceland which as predicted here was a tight encounter that ended 0-0 and is now down to a one game shootout. Of the three previous 0-0 draws in first legs of European play-offs for major tournaments the side to draw 0-0 away from home in the first leg has gone through once and the home side twice. Even allowing for the fact that Croatia are the better team the 7/2 (SKYBET/CORAL) on Iceland to qualify is big value. Before the sending off in the first leg Iceland were causing Croatia some problems and they have the kind of attacking talent that can hit on the counter attack.

You can get 2/1 (GENERAL) that a France side who are 2-0 down from the first leg qualify against Ukraine which just shows how much value Iceland are at 7/2. Bear in mind that no side has ever overturned a 2+ deficit in a World Cup or European Championship play-off and you get the idea of just how hard things will be for Didier Deschamp and his men.

France are 2/5 (GENERAL) to win the second leg and it is hard to see past this as they have only lost once in their last eight competitive home games (against Spain), winning six of these. Ukraine though can take heart from the fact they only Spain conceded as few goals as them in qualifying and that they are unbeaten in 11 games under Mykhalio Formenko.

The bet I like in this game is Paul Pogba in the anytime goalscorer market. The former Man Utd player has four already for Juventus this season and an international goal against Belarus. He looks generously priced then at 19/4 (888 SPORT/unibet) to score anytime as he will surely be given licence to get forward from midfield in a must win game for the French.

Romania are in the same position as France as they look to come back from two goals down to book their place in the World Cup after a 3-1 loss to Greece in the first leg. The price on Romania to win the second leg looks decent at 6/5 (paddy Power) as they have won five of their last seven home internationals. As much as the Greeks will not try to let the mind set slip that way it is hard not to judge the tie as 3-1 rather than 3-2. I still think the Greeks will do the job to get them through just that they will be happy to lose this one by just the one goal.

Perhaps the most illuminating stat of the first leg was that Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to touch the ball in the Portugal box in the first leg which pretty much explains why Sweden are 1-0 down from the first leg.

Here is another stat not in the favour of the Swedes 75% of European teams have qualified after winning the first leg 1-0 which means the 37/13 (BWIN) on Sweden to qualify is not a price worth backing.

The bet worth taking though is the evens (CORAL) on both teams to score as this would have paid in each of the last three Swedish home games and in four of the last six Portugal away games, including each of their last two. Both sides have attacking talent and this could prove a fascinating final leg. BEST OF THE BETS GOLD: Iceland to qualify for the World Cup, 7/2 (SKYBET/CORAL) SILVER: Both teams to score Sweden v Portugal, evens (CORAL) BRONZE: Paul Pogba to score anytime v Ukraine, 19/4 (888 SPORT/unibet)

Go To bet365

#Ad

25/11/2013     © Frixo 2026