Luxembourg vs Iceland

Stade de Luxembourg forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Euro 2024 qualifying Group J meeting between Luxembourg and Iceland.

Luxembourg’s hopes of a first-ever Euro group stage qualification looked sealed after an embarrassing 6-0 defeat at Portugal on matchday two. However, they have defied their poor FIFA ranking (#89) to secure back-to-back 2-0 victories over Liechtenstein and Bosnia & Herzegovina and move within a three-point distance of Group J runners-up Slovakia ahead of matchday five. Even without record joint-top scorer Gerson Rodrigues, the perennial continental minnows stunned Bosnia on the road last time out, bolstering their case ahead of this ominous-looking task. Indeed, ‘Les Lions Rouges’ have suffered seven defeats in their ten most recent Euro qualifiers on home turf (W3). On top of that, they’ve failed to win any of their three previous meetings with Iceland (D2, L1) despite only drawing a blank once.

On the other hand, Iceland’s bid to qualify for only their second-ever Euro finals and the first since 2016 couldn’t have started any worse. Barring a 7-0 humbling of Group J’s worst-ranked nation, Liechtenstein, in round two, they have lost all three remaining Euro 2024 qualifiers, including two without scoring. Winning both qualifiers this month is of the essence as Age Heraide’s men commence this round seven points adrift of second-placed Slovakia! That could prove easier said than done on foreign soil when taking into account Iceland’s underwhelming nine-game form in away Euroe qualifiers (W3, D1, L5). But an unbeaten competitive H2H record (W1, D1) could be a much-needed confidence booster.