Wales have started positively under new manager Craig Bellamy, and with Brennan Johnson in top form, he is poised to score against Iceland this Friday night.
Wales Under Bellamy’s Leadership Since taking over, Bellamy has led Wales to a win and a draw. Brennan Johnson has been in exceptional form, finding the net in his last six club matches. Additionally, the card count has been high in Bellamy’s early tenure.
Match Details:
- Fixture: Iceland vs Wales
- Date: Friday, October 11
- Kick-off: 19:45
- Broadcast: Live on S4C, Premier Player & S4C Online
Iceland’s Inconsistency Iceland has had a mixed bag of results in the Nations League. Under coach Age Hareide, they began with a solid 2-0 home victory over Montenegro but followed that with a 3-1 defeat away to Turkey. Their performance has been unpredictable, alternating between wins and losses, including a surprising victory over England at Wembley.
However, they suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands shortly after, indicating their inconsistency.
Bellamy’s Fresh Start with Wales Wales seemed in need of a fresh start, and the appointment of Craig Bellamy has revitalized the squad. They played energetically in a 0-0 draw against Turkey before bouncing back with a 2-1 win over Montenegro, ending a four-match winless streak.
Notably, they had struggled to score, with their last goal prior to this match coming against Gibraltar, which contributed to Robert Page’s departure.
Current Betting Odds Given the recent form, Wales are slight favorites for this matchup, though the odds are competitive:
- Wales: 6/4
- Iceland: 7/4
- Draw: 15/8
For context, Wales were also favorites at 5/4 before their win against Montenegro, who were ranked 73rd in the FIFA World Rankings at that time. Iceland currently sits at 71st, making this a comparable challenge.
Brennan Johnson’s Hot Streak In the past, matches like this would have been tailor-made for Gareth Bale to take center stage. However, with the emergence of younger talents, Brennan Johnson is making a name for himself. He has scored in each of his last six matches for Tottenham, including four away goals, indicating he thrives in open spaces.
Johnson also scored in two Nations League matches during the 2022 campaign, netting a goal against the Netherlands and equalizing against Belgium.
Expect a High Card Count Bellamy’s aggressive coaching style has led to a high number of cards in Wales’ matches, with six yellows and a red in the 0-0 draw against Turkey and another six bookings against Montenegro. Similarly, Iceland saw six cards in their last home game against Montenegro.
With these trends, I anticipate a high card count in this match, with Over 5.5 cards priced at 17/10.
Bet Builder Suggestion Combining a Johnson goal with a high card count could yield a Bet Builder at around 17/2, making it an appealing option for bettors.
