England are ranked 4th in the world according to FIFA and leading sportsbooks have them as second-favourites behind France to win the UEFA Nations League 2020.
The Three Lions finished third at the UEFA Nations League 2018 failing to defeat the Netherlands in the semifinals before beating Switzerland in the third-place game. Now, Gareth Southgate’s golden generation aims to go a step further and claim first place.
@England 🏴 pic.twitter.com/eih43yaRZ0— Mason Greenwood (@masongreenwood) September 3, 2020
@England 🏴 pic.twitter.com/eih43yaRZ0
Iceland have a recent history against England and it is a positive one. The two teams met at the Euro 2016 tournament where Iceland claimed an incredible 2-1 win sending the Three Lions crashing out of the competition.
Group 2 of the Nations League is arguably the most difficult at the tournament. The group features England, Iceland, Denmark, and Belgium.
England are unbeaten in five of their last six matches in international play. All six games came in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
Iceland are unbeaten in six of their last eight international games. Unlike Italy, they were able to play in January 2020 in international competitions before the COVID-19 pandemic ended all football. England, on the other hand, haven’t played since last November.
Due to restrictions on travel and games, neither set of players have played much lately. Iceland’s domestic players should have some fitness under them. Their domestic league is being played right now and it should give Iceland a slight advantage.
In addition, many of the Nordic leagues are also playing currently giving players the chance to compete in regular matches.
The Premier League and other major leagues around Europe have been closed since late July. A lack of playing time and rust could be the difference between England getting a win and dropping points on Saturday.
Southgate has put together a squad of young and old as he attempts to give new players the chance to play on the international stage. Ten years ago, England spent a decade calling in the same players over and over again in spite of them constantly failing.
Having fresh players consistently brought in shows the strength England have at the moment. England did lose to Iceland the last time they played in a major competition.
The Three Lions could struggle on Saturday night away to a defensive Iceland. In spite of England’s golden generation being very talented, Iceland should be able to keep the Three Lions at bay.
Expect the Group 2 rivals to end in a stalemate when they clash in Reykjavik. The game should see fewer than 2.5 goals in a frustrating night for England.