Turkey and Iceland Play for a Place at 2018 World Cup
Published October 6, 2017 by Florin P
Turkey welcomes Iceland in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers in a potentially decisive match (7:45 p.m UK Time).
Group I is one of the most competitive at the World Cup qualifiers, with Croatia currently leading. They are however ahead just on goal average, so both Turkey and Iceland can hope for the first place. The direct match is likely to have a significant impact on their chances to qualify to the most important football competition. Home pitch advantage has always been huge when these two teams went head to head, but Iceland has greatly improved its performance on the road.
Everything on the Line for Lucescu
The Romanian manager has a lot of fans in Turkey so it isn’t exactly a surprise and he was appointed at the helm of the national team. So far results were ambivalent so the fans are still hoping that he can turn the ship around. It’s been a while since their team has played in an important competition and this looks like an excellent opportunity.
Another draw recorded in front of the home crowd will only ramp up the tension, so Lucescu will field a more offensive starting formation. Against Iceland this could work only if Turkey maintains the same level of play for 90 minutes. The visitors have their strikers in good shape, but several players are mending their injuries. This could make them vulnerable if they have to defend for the entire match.
Stellar Home Record for both Teams
Turkey has never won on the road against Iceland, but at home prevailed in most of the games played. The head to head record as well as the fact that the visitors are tied for the lead with Croatia will be prompting them to play it safe. A point in Istanbul should be more than enough to keep their hopes alive, so the guests are not going to take many chances.
The biggest risk for those who contemplate the possibility of betting on Turkey is for the match to end undecided. However, with bet365 Sports offering even odds on the home side to win, it is worth taking this chance.
