Scotland and Iceland will clash on Friday night in the first of their final two international friendlies in preparation for their upcoming UEFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

The hosts are aiming to rebound from a 3-0 loss to Greece, suffering relegation to League B of the Nations League as a result, while the visitors are looking to end a three-game losing run.

Match preview

© Imago

Scotland enjoyed a sensational run of form throughout the second half of 2022 and a large duration of 2023, winning promotion to League A of the Nations League - with four wins, one draw and one defeat - and comfortably securing qualification to the 2024 UEFA European Championship - finishing second in the group with five wins, two draws and one defeat.

However, that streak came to an abrupt end as they embarked on a run of just one win in the following 16 games, with 10 defeats and five draws, including crashing out of Group A at Euro 2024 in fourth place with just one point.

That run was finally ended as they defeated Croatia (1-0) and Poland (2-1) in their final two Nations League Group 1 matches, giving them the chance to battle for their survival in League A with a playoff clash against Greece.

Steve Clarke's men won the first leg 1-0, thanks to a Scott McTominay penalty, leaving them in a strong position heading back to Hampden Park, but a devastating 3-0 defeat in the second leg confirmed their relegation.

Now looking to instantly bounce back and avoid another lengthy winless run ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, where they have been drawn alongside Denmark, Belarus and Greece in Group C, Scotland are targeting a confidence-building victory on Friday.

Their opponents, Iceland, are similarly aiming to snap a miserable streak and boost morale ahead of their World Cup qualifiers later this year, where they will face Azerbaijan, France and Ukraine in Group D.

Iceland, after qualifying for their first major tournaments at the 2016 Euros and 2018 World Cup, have been unable to replicate that success in recent years, failing to qualify for any of the competitions since.

They came agonisingly close to securing a spot in the 2024 Euros, leading Ukraine 1-0 in the playoff final, but late goals from Viktor Tsygankov in the 54th minute and Mykhaylo Mudryk in the 84th minute resulted in a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat.

Iceland's misery has continued since then, winning only three of their following 10 matches, alongside one draw and six defeats, including suffering relegation from League B of the Nations League after a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Kosovo in the playoffs.

Those results leave Iceland similarly aiming to rebound with a much-needed victory against Scotland, with Arnar Gunnlaugsson hoping to build positive momentum ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, where they will be aiming to secure just their second-ever qualification.

Iceland have, however, historically struggled against Scotland, losing all of their six encounters, though their most recent meeting was in April 2009.

Team News

Clarke has included several players for the first time in a senior Scotland squad for the upcoming two friendlies, with Kieron Bowie, Robby McCrorie, Cieran Slicker, Connor Barron, Josh Doig, Andy Irving and Lennon Miller all aiming to make their national team debut.

McTominay has emerged as Scotland's standout player in recent years, and following a stellar debut season with Napoli - where he helped clinch the Serie A title and won the MVP award - the midfielder will be looked upon to guide the Tartan Army to victory against Iceland.

Napoli teammate Billy Gilmour may join McTominay in midfield, with Motherwell's Miller potentially making his Scotland debut, while John McGinn and Tommy Conway are likely to feature in the wide positions.

As for Iceland, Orri Oskarsson has impressed with seven goals in 16 appearances since making his debut for the national team, but the striker has not been included in the squad due to injury, meaning Andri Gudjohnsen could partner Albert Gudmundsson in attack.

In defence, Hakon Valdimarsson should retain his place in goal, while Stefan Thordarson and Sverrir Ingason are likely to continue their partnership in central defence.

Scotland possible starting lineup:
Gunn; Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; Gilmour, Miller; Conway, McTominay, McGinn; Adams

Iceland possible starting lineup:
Valdimarsson; Palsson, Thordarson, Ingason, Johannesson; Willumsson, Helgason, Traustason, Haraldsson; Gudmundsson, Gudjohnsen

© PA Photos

We say: Scotland 2-1 Iceland

Scotland have won all of their six encounters with Iceland, and with the likes of McTominay in sensational form, we expect the Tartan Army to extend that record with another victory.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Ellis Stevens

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