Iceland will be hoping to build on one of the shocks of the World Cup opening round when they take on Nigeria in Volgograd.
Having successfully stifled Lionel Messi and Argentina, Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side can put themselves in a good position to qualify from Group D if they compound Nigeria’s misery.
The Super Eagles know anything less than beating Iceland will leave them with an uphill task to avoid elimination after defeat against Croatia on Saturday – and no one wants to see those stylish kits exit the tournament just yet.
Follow all the live action below...
Live Updates
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What time is it?
Nigeria vs Iceland kicks off at 4pm.
Where can I watch it?
The game will be shown live on BBC One. It will also be shown via the BBC website.
Odds
Nigeria: 15/8
Iceland: 29/16
Draw: 9/4
Prediction
Nigeria 1-1 Iceland: Gernot Rohr will get a reaction from the Super Eagles but both of these teams are so limited in attack that they will be forced to settle for a result that suits neither.
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Nigeria vs Iceland Prediction, Betting Tips and Preview
Nigeria vs. Iceland is fantastic opportunity to test our knowledge/luck, put bets and earn money. These nations played only once altogether. It was friendly match that won Iceland as host 3:0. That game was held in 1981.
Nigeria cannot be happy after first game against Croats. They prepared for that match by choosing Serbia for friendly match because they thought that those two teams play similar football. Against Serbia they lost 2:0 and their confidence was shaken. When match with Croats started, it became clear that neither team is able to create serious threat. However, before players went for a break, we saw one goal. Nigeria scored own goal and they never recovered from that 1:0. In second part of the match, Croatia is given chance to double the lead after penalty and they did it 2:0. Nigerian team is youngest in this championship while Icelanders are the oldest. Northerners are also famous for their defensive abilities. An edge goes to Iceland but nobody can claim for sure that experience will triumph over youth.
After miraculous play in EURO 2016, Iceland continued with great performance. They came to Russia as clear first in their group. First match in World Cup was one of hardest possible. Iceland was chosen to play against Argentina. Their strategy to defend entire game was risky but overall smart. Iceland have three main strengths. First is without doubt team spirit. Second is height advantage and third is experience. Argentina had the ball in their possession most of the time and in one moment they scored 1:0. Their joy was short lived because Iceland equalized four minutes after 1:1. In second part, referee pointed to the white spot and Argentina earned penalty but luckily for Iceland they missed it. After ninety minutes of play Iceland was overjoyed with draw. After this draw, Iceland must attack Nigeria because if they win then they almost certainly qualified for knockout phase.
Enjoy in the clash of Nigeria vs. Iceland and be sure to take your time and check our predictions and betting tips for this football match. Read our betting preview and take your chance to win a big.
Embed from Getty Images
Nigeria vs Iceland Stats
Stats are based on the last 10 games (including friendly matches)
NIGERIA ICELAND FORM(WON-DRAW-LOSS) 3-2-5 4-2-4 GOALS SCORED 10 22 SHOTS ON TARGET 31 45 SHOTS OFF TARGET 47 50 GOALS CONCEDED 15 15 TOTAL GOALS 25 37 OVER 1.5 GOALS 7 10 OVER 2.5 GOALS 4 8 OVER 3.5 GOALS 3 5 UNDER 1.5 GOALS 3 0 UNDER 2.5 GOALS 6 2 BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 5 6 CLEAN SHEETS 2 3 CORNERS 39 42 FOULS 160 133 YELLOWS 14 11 REDS 2 0 OFFSIDES 8 13
Missing players
Nigeria have all players available for the match and all of them are highly motivated to play aggressive from the first minute.
On the other side Iceland also do not have a big injury concerns before the match with Iceland. Johann Berg Gudmundsson is not fully fit and he is doubtful for the match. All other players are fully fit and ready to play this important game on the World Cup.
Possible starting lineups
Nigeria: Uzoho; Shehu, Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Idowu; Ndidi, Etebo; Iwobi, Mikel, Moses; Ighalo
Iceland: Halldorsson; Saevarsson, Arnason, Sigurdsson, Magnusson; Gudmundsson, Gunnarsson, Hallfredsson, Bjarnason; Sigurdsson; Finnbogason
Nigeria vs Iceland Prediction
Another one very good football game to place our bet on Friday. Match Nigeria vs Iceland brings us very good betting opportunity and you shouldn't miss to bet on. Nigeria are not in fine fettle and they will play aggressive from the first minute. Their main objective for the match will be to score a goal more and looks like this game is going to be a must win for them. On the other side Iceland were able to surprise on matchday 1 holding Argentina to a draw and they are in full of confidence before this clash. They like to play aggressive in defending and will try to keep a clean sheet. Well organised at the back and dangerous when going forward Iceland are closer to pick up all three points here.
So our prediction and betting tips for the match Nigeria vs Iceland Prediction: Iceland to win. We don’t expect an interesting game with lots of scoring chances and our second betting pick goes on bet Under 2.5 goals. If you want to win more cash from this game then can try with bet on X/2. Maybe correct score will be 0-1. Have a nice betting day and good luck in earning money with our football prediction and betting tips.
A £100 Bet on Iceland to win to nil returns £400. Click here!
Nigeria vs Iceland Bet
Nigeria vs Iceland Odds:
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Nigeria vs Iceland | World Cup 2018, Group D | Friday, June 22 | Volgograd Arena
Iceland have a golden chance to take a big step towards the knockout stages of the World Cup as they take on Group E rivals Nigeria this afternoon.
The nation with the smallest population at the World Cup stunned Argentina as Lionel Messi missed a penalty in a 1-1 draw in the opening group game before Croatia's 3-0 win over La Albiceleste leaves things wide open for Iceland if they can get a result on Friday.
Nigeria headed to Russia with other nations in awe of their kit, but the Super Eagles were poor in a 2-0 defeat against Croatia and must get a result to avoid an early exit.
Scroll down for Standard Sport's comprehensive preview...
Group E P W D L F A Pts Croatia 2 2 0 0 5 0 6 Iceland 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 Argentina 2 0 1 1 1 4 1 Nigeria 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
Start time
In Pictures | Fifa World Cup 2018 59 show all In Pictures | Fifa World Cup 2018 1/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo shoots at goal from a free kick Reuters 2/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo EPA 3/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo scores a goal Reuters 4/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal Reuters 5/59 England's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group G match vs Tunisia at Volgograd Arena Getty Images 6/59 Japan fans celebrate at the Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Russia Reuters 7/59 Russia's midfielder Roman Zobnin and Artem Dzyuba celebrate the opening goal during their Group A football match vs Egypt at the Saint Petersburg Stadium AFP/Getty Images 8/59 Brazil's Neymar falls during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group El match vs Switzerland at the Rostov Arena AFP/Getty Images 9/59 Japan's Eiji Kawashima concedes a goal scored by Colombia's Juan Fernando Quintero Reuters 10/59 Japan's forward Yuya Osako (centre) celebrates after scoring a goal during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group H match vs Colombia AFP/Getty Images 11/59 Colombia's midfielder James Rodriguez dejected after theor 201 loss vs Japan AFP/Getty Images 12/59 Russia's defender Ilja Kutepov hitting an acrobatic bicycle kick AFP/Getty Images 13/59 Senegal fans cheer in the stands at the Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia Reuters 14/59 Poland's midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak (right) scores a header vs Senegal AFP/Getty Images 15/59 England celbrate Harry Kane's first goal Reuters 16/59 England's Harry Kane of England scoring the winning goal va Tunisia EPA 17/59 Rebekah Vardy, the wife of England's Jamie Vardy watches the game in the stands with their daughter Megan Jeremy Selwyn 18/59 England's forward Harry Kane scores his team's first goal AFP/Getty Images 19/59 England manager Gareth Southgate Reuters 20/59 Belgium's Dries Mertens reacts as he vies for the ball with Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez and Erick Davis during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group G match at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi AFP/Getty Images 21/59 Sweden'S Albin Ekdal challenges for the ball with Korea Republic'S Jang Hyun-Soo during theIR 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match at Nizhniy Novgorod Stadium Getty Images 22/59 Mexico's Hirving Lozano celebrates with Jesus Gallardo after scoring his team's first goal during their 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match vs Germany at Luzhniki Stadium Getty Images 23/59 A Germany fan looks dejected after their 1-0 defeat by Mexico Reuters 24/59 Thomas Mueller of Germany following his sides defeat in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match between Germany and Mexico at Luzhniki Stadium Getty Images 25/59 Switzerland's Steven Zuber levels the score vs Brazil AP 26/59 Switzerland's Steven Zuber goal Getty Images 27/59 A woman poses by a mural of England's Harry Kane with words King Harry written in Russian near the fan fest centre of Volgograd ahead of his team's opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia PA 28/59 Brazil's Philippe Coutinho celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during their Group E match vs Switzerland AP 29/59 Switzerland's goalkeeper Yann Sommer watches the ball fly past him by Brazil's forward Philippe Coutinho (not in picture) during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match at the Rostov Arena AFP/Getty Images 30/59 Costa Rica's goalkeeper Keylor Navas punches the ball away from Serbia's Branislav Ivanovic (centre) during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match at the Samara Arena AFP/Getty Images 31/59 Australian players protest as referee Andres Cunha from Uruguay decides on penalty after consulting with the VAR during theIr Group C match vs France AP 32/59 Iceland's Hannes Halldorsson saves a penalty from Argentina's Lionel Messi during their FIFA World Cup 2018 Group D match in Moscow, Russia EPA 33/59 Argentina Lionel Messi misses a penalty during their FIFA World Cup 2018 Group D match vs Iceland in Moscow, Russia EPA 34/59 Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts Reuters 35/59 Denmark 's Yussuf Yurary Poulsen celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group C match vs Peru a at Mordovia Arena 36/59 Peru's Edison Flores in acton vs Denmark's Henrik Dalsgaard EPA 37/59 A Russian fan kisses a replica of the FIFA 2018 World Cup trophy AFP/Getty Images 38/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his third goal vs Spain Reuters 39/59 Sam Morsy of Egypt and Edinson Cavani of Uruguay battle for possession during their 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group A match at Ekaterinburg Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia Getty Images 40/59 Achilles the cat predicts a win for Russia vs Saudia Arabia AP 41/59 Fans in the stands watching Morocco vs Iran Reuters 42/59 England manager Gareth Southgate and England's Harry Kane receive gifts before training Reuters 43/59 Egypt's Mohamed Salah looks on during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match vs Uruguay at Ekaterinburg Arena Getty Images 44/59 Rigobert Youmbi from Cameroon poses for a photo wearing body paint in the Russian colours AP 45/59 Amr Warda of Egypt attempts an overhead kick Getty Images 46/59 Russia's midfielder Yuri Gazinskiy celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group A football match vs Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow AFP/Getty Images 47/59 Robbie Williams performs during the opening ceremony Reuters 48/59 Artist perform during the opening ceremony Getty Images 49/59 An entertainer performs during the opening ceremony Reuters 50/59 Spain's coach Julen Lopetegui days before their first match AFP/Getty Images 51/59 Members of the England squad line up for a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Grenfell tower fire before a training session AP 52/59 Serbian hairdresser Mario Hvala creates a hair tattoo showing the portrait of Argentinian football player Lionel Messi on the head of a football fan in Novi Sad, Serbia AFP/Getty Images 53/59 Former player player Ronaldo during the opening ceremony Reuters 54/59 A view of the video assistant refereeing (VAR) operation room of the 2018 World Cup International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Moscow, Russia, EPA 55/59 Brazil's Neymar (not in frame) and Gabriel Jesus (C) break an egg on the head of teammate Philippe Coutinho as they celebrate his birthday during a training session at Sochi Municipal Stadium AFP/Getty Images 56/59 FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for cameras at the FIFA congress on the eve of the opener of the 2018 soccer World Cup in Moscow, Russia AP 57/59 Colombia soccer fans cheer near the Red Square in Moscow, Russia EPA 58/59 England's midfielder Jesse Lingard takes part in a training session in Stadium Spartak in Zelenogorsk AFP/Getty Images 59/59 General view of the stadium as fans celebrate the opening goal scored by Iury Gazinsky of Russia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Getty Images 1/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo shoots at goal from a free kick Reuters 2/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo EPA 3/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo scores a goal Reuters 4/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal Reuters 5/59 England's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group G match vs Tunisia at Volgograd Arena Getty Images 6/59 Japan fans celebrate at the Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Russia Reuters 7/59 Russia's midfielder Roman Zobnin and Artem Dzyuba celebrate the opening goal during their Group A football match vs Egypt at the Saint Petersburg Stadium AFP/Getty Images 8/59 Brazil's Neymar falls during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group El match vs Switzerland at the Rostov Arena AFP/Getty Images 9/59 Japan's Eiji Kawashima concedes a goal scored by Colombia's Juan Fernando Quintero Reuters 10/59 Japan's forward Yuya Osako (centre) celebrates after scoring a goal during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group H match vs Colombia AFP/Getty Images 11/59 Colombia's midfielder James Rodriguez dejected after theor 201 loss vs Japan AFP/Getty Images 12/59 Russia's defender Ilja Kutepov hitting an acrobatic bicycle kick AFP/Getty Images 13/59 Senegal fans cheer in the stands at the Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia Reuters 14/59 Poland's midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak (right) scores a header vs Senegal AFP/Getty Images 15/59 England celbrate Harry Kane's first goal Reuters 16/59 England's Harry Kane of England scoring the winning goal va Tunisia EPA 17/59 Rebekah Vardy, the wife of England's Jamie Vardy watches the game in the stands with their daughter Megan Jeremy Selwyn 18/59 England's forward Harry Kane scores his team's first goal AFP/Getty Images 19/59 England manager Gareth Southgate Reuters 20/59 Belgium's Dries Mertens reacts as he vies for the ball with Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez and Erick Davis during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group G match at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi AFP/Getty Images 21/59 Sweden'S Albin Ekdal challenges for the ball with Korea Republic'S Jang Hyun-Soo during theIR 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match at Nizhniy Novgorod Stadium Getty Images 22/59 Mexico's Hirving Lozano celebrates with Jesus Gallardo after scoring his team's first goal during their 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match vs Germany at Luzhniki Stadium Getty Images 23/59 A Germany fan looks dejected after their 1-0 defeat by Mexico Reuters 24/59 Thomas Mueller of Germany following his sides defeat in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match between Germany and Mexico at Luzhniki Stadium Getty Images 25/59 Switzerland's Steven Zuber levels the score vs Brazil AP 26/59 Switzerland's Steven Zuber goal Getty Images 27/59 A woman poses by a mural of England's Harry Kane with words King Harry written in Russian near the fan fest centre of Volgograd ahead of his team's opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia PA 28/59 Brazil's Philippe Coutinho celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during their Group E match vs Switzerland AP 29/59 Switzerland's goalkeeper Yann Sommer watches the ball fly past him by Brazil's forward Philippe Coutinho (not in picture) during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match at the Rostov Arena AFP/Getty Images 30/59 Costa Rica's goalkeeper Keylor Navas punches the ball away from Serbia's Branislav Ivanovic (centre) during their Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match at the Samara Arena AFP/Getty Images 31/59 Australian players protest as referee Andres Cunha from Uruguay decides on penalty after consulting with the VAR during theIr Group C match vs France AP 32/59 Iceland's Hannes Halldorsson saves a penalty from Argentina's Lionel Messi during their FIFA World Cup 2018 Group D match in Moscow, Russia EPA 33/59 Argentina Lionel Messi misses a penalty during their FIFA World Cup 2018 Group D match vs Iceland in Moscow, Russia EPA 34/59 Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts Reuters 35/59 Denmark 's Yussuf Yurary Poulsen celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group C match vs Peru a at Mordovia Arena 36/59 Peru's Edison Flores in acton vs Denmark's Henrik Dalsgaard EPA 37/59 A Russian fan kisses a replica of the FIFA 2018 World Cup trophy AFP/Getty Images 38/59 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his third goal vs Spain Reuters 39/59 Sam Morsy of Egypt and Edinson Cavani of Uruguay battle for possession during their 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group A match at Ekaterinburg Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia Getty Images 40/59 Achilles the cat predicts a win for Russia vs Saudia Arabia AP 41/59 Fans in the stands watching Morocco vs Iran Reuters 42/59 England manager Gareth Southgate and England's Harry Kane receive gifts before training Reuters 43/59 Egypt's Mohamed Salah looks on during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match vs Uruguay at Ekaterinburg Arena Getty Images 44/59 Rigobert Youmbi from Cameroon poses for a photo wearing body paint in the Russian colours AP 45/59 Amr Warda of Egypt attempts an overhead kick Getty Images 46/59 Russia's midfielder Yuri Gazinskiy celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group A football match vs Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow AFP/Getty Images 47/59 Robbie Williams performs during the opening ceremony Reuters 48/59 Artist perform during the opening ceremony Getty Images 49/59 An entertainer performs during the opening ceremony Reuters 50/59 Spain's coach Julen Lopetegui days before their first match AFP/Getty Images 51/59 Members of the England squad line up for a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Grenfell tower fire before a training session AP 52/59 Serbian hairdresser Mario Hvala creates a hair tattoo showing the portrait of Argentinian football player Lionel Messi on the head of a football fan in Novi Sad, Serbia AFP/Getty Images 53/59 Former player player Ronaldo during the opening ceremony Reuters 54/59 A view of the video assistant refereeing (VAR) operation room of the 2018 World Cup International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Moscow, Russia, EPA 55/59 Brazil's Neymar (not in frame) and Gabriel Jesus (C) break an egg on the head of teammate Philippe Coutinho as they celebrate his birthday during a training session at Sochi Municipal Stadium AFP/Getty Images 56/59 FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for cameras at the FIFA congress on the eve of the opener of the 2018 soccer World Cup in Moscow, Russia AP 57/59 Colombia soccer fans cheer near the Red Square in Moscow, Russia EPA 58/59 England's midfielder Jesse Lingard takes part in a training session in Stadium Spartak in Zelenogorsk AFP/Getty Images 59/59 General view of the stadium as fans celebrate the opening goal scored by Iury Gazinsky of Russia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Getty Images
Nigeria take on Iceland at Volgograd Arena, with kick-off scheduled for 4pm BST.
TV, online and live stream coverage
The best World Cup outdoor screenings in London 12 show all The best World Cup outdoor screenings in London 1/12 Merchant Square 2 Merchant Square, W2 1BF 2/12 The Waterway 54 Formosa Street, W9 2JU 3/12 Fest Camden Fest Camden, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, Camden, NW1 8AH 4/12 Boxpark Shoreditch 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6GY 5/12 Pitch Stratford Bridge Rd, E15 3PA, 6/12 Ealing Park Tavern 222 South Ealing Road, W5 4RL 7/12 The Water Poet 9-11 Folgate St, E1 6BX 8/12 The Grafton Arms 72 Grafton Way, W1T 5DU 9/12 The Enchanted Garden at the Last Days of Shoreditch 288 Old St, EC1V 9LA 10/12 Flat Iron Square 68 Union St, SE1 1TD 11/12 Skylight Tobacco Dock, Pennington St entrance, E1W 2SF 12/12 Boxpark Croyden 99 George St, CR0 1LD 1/12 Merchant Square 2 Merchant Square, W2 1BF 2/12 The Waterway 54 Formosa Street, W9 2JU 3/12 Fest Camden Fest Camden, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, Camden, NW1 8AH 4/12 Boxpark Shoreditch 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6GY 5/12 Pitch Stratford Bridge Rd, E15 3PA, 6/12 Ealing Park Tavern 222 South Ealing Road, W5 4RL 7/12 The Water Poet 9-11 Folgate St, E1 6BX 8/12 The Grafton Arms 72 Grafton Way, W1T 5DU 9/12 The Enchanted Garden at the Last Days of Shoreditch 288 Old St, EC1V 9LA 10/12 Flat Iron Square 68 Union St, SE1 1TD 11/12 Skylight Tobacco Dock, Pennington St entrance, E1W 2SF 12/12 Boxpark Croyden 99 George St, CR0 1LD
The match will be televised live on BBC One. Viewers can stream the match online via the BBC iPlayer.
You will be able to follow the match with Standard Sport's dedicated LIVE blog
Prediction
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Odds subject to change
Nigeria to win 1-0: 13/2
Iceland to win 2-1: 10/1
Gylfi Sigurdsson to score: 3/1
Alex Iwobi to score first: 7/1
Cick here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
Head to head
The two nations have faced each other just once before, with Iceland winning a friendly 3-0 in Reykjavik back in 1981.
Team news
Iceland expect to face Nigeria without one of their most experienced players, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, who is very unlikely to recover from injury in time.
"He is getting better every day. He is good hands. I am not going to hide that it is very unlikely that he will play," Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson told reporters on Thursday.
Iceland playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson, who recovered from injury in time for the World Cup and played against Argentina, is 100 percent fit, he said.
Predicted starting line-ups
In Pictures | Fifa World Cup 2018 Fans 38 show all In Pictures | Fifa World Cup 2018 Fans 1/38 A Colombian fan sporting a tiger head poses before the Russia 2018 World Cup Group H football match vs Japan at the Mordovia Aren AFP/Getty Images 2/38 Japan fans REUTERS 3/38 Senegal's fans AP 4/38 A Russian football fan waves the national flag Reuters 5/38 A Portugal's supporter poses ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B match vs Spain at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi AFP/Getty Images 6/38 Brazil fans react before the Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match vs Switzerland at the Rostov Arena AFP/Getty Images 7/38 Peru fans Reuters 8/38 England fans in the stands Reuters 9/38 Supporters of Australia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Group C match vs France and Australia in Kazan, Russia EPA 10/38 World Cup fans at Morocco v Iran at Saint Petersburg Stadium, Russia Reuters 11/38 Supporters of Sweden EPA 12/38 A fan of Russia's national football team wearing body paint with the national colours celebrates victory over Saudi Arabia in Moscow AFP/Getty Images 13/38 South Korean fans watch on a large screen during a street cheering event for their team's 2018 World Cup match vs Sweden at Gwanghwamun square in Seoul AFP/Getty Images 14/38 Germany fans wave flags Reuters 15/38 Argentina fans in the stands PA 16/38 Colombia go football costume crazy for the Fifa World Cup tournmant in Russia EPA 17/38 A Russian fan cheers for her team during a live broadcast EPA 18/38 A Costa Rica supporter cheers during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match vs Serbia at the Samara Arena AFP/Getty Images 19/38 Mexico fansMexico fans Reuters 20/38 Serbian hairdresser Mario Hvala creates a hair tattoo showing the portrait of Argentinian football player Lionel Messi on the head of a football fan in Novi Sad, Serbia AFP/Getty Images 21/38 Saudi Arabia fans in the stands PA 22/38 French fans pose before the Russia 2018 World Cup Group C match between France and Australia at the Kazan AFP/Getty Images 23/38 Denmark fans enjoy the match atmosphere Getty Images 24/38 A man paints the face of a football fan before the opening ceremony and first match of the FIFA World Cup in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil Reuters 25/38 Supporters wave Spanish flags as they watch the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B match vs Portugal AFP/Getty Images 26/38 A fan looks on prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group A match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium Getty Images 27/38 Uruguay fans Reuters 28/38 A Polish fans supports their Group H match vs Senegal at Spartak Stadium Getty Images 29/38 Supporters of the Iranian national team in Moscow Reuters 30/38 Disguised French fans pose during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group C match between France and Australia at the Kazan Arena AFP/Getty Images 31/38 A Russia fan kisses another supporter before the start of the opening match vs Saudi Arabia AFP/Getty Images 32/38 An Egyptian fan wearing pharaoh outfit poses with other supporters in Moscow AP 33/38 Supporters of the Tunisian national soccer team cheer Reuters 34/38 Nepalese youth Jeevan Giri, aged 19, has the name of Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo cut into his hair at the barber shop in Kathmandu, Nepal EPA 35/38 A Morocco fan cheers before the start of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Morocco and Iran AFP/Getty Images 36/38 Excited fans arrive in St Petersburg, Russia for the World Cup Jeremy Selwyn 37/38 Fans of Germany enjoy the pre match atmosphere prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match Getty Images 38/38 Zabivaka, the official mascot of the FIFA World Cup 2018 walks on stage at the FIFA Fan Fest in Kazan, Russia EPA 1/38 A Colombian fan sporting a tiger head poses before the Russia 2018 World Cup Group H football match vs Japan at the Mordovia Aren AFP/Getty Images 2/38 Japan fans REUTERS 3/38 Senegal's fans AP 4/38 A Russian football fan waves the national flag Reuters 5/38 A Portugal's supporter poses ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B match vs Spain at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi AFP/Getty Images 6/38 Brazil fans react before the Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match vs Switzerland at the Rostov Arena AFP/Getty Images 7/38 Peru fans Reuters 8/38 England fans in the stands Reuters 9/38 Supporters of Australia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Group C match vs France and Australia in Kazan, Russia EPA 10/38 World Cup fans at Morocco v Iran at Saint Petersburg Stadium, Russia Reuters 11/38 Supporters of Sweden EPA 12/38 A fan of Russia's national football team wearing body paint with the national colours celebrates victory over Saudi Arabia in Moscow AFP/Getty Images 13/38 South Korean fans watch on a large screen during a street cheering event for their team's 2018 World Cup match vs Sweden at Gwanghwamun square in Seoul AFP/Getty Images 14/38 Germany fans wave flags Reuters 15/38 Argentina fans in the stands PA 16/38 Colombia go football costume crazy for the Fifa World Cup tournmant in Russia EPA 17/38 A Russian fan cheers for her team during a live broadcast EPA 18/38 A Costa Rica supporter cheers during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group E match vs Serbia at the Samara Arena AFP/Getty Images 19/38 Mexico fansMexico fans Reuters 20/38 Serbian hairdresser Mario Hvala creates a hair tattoo showing the portrait of Argentinian football player Lionel Messi on the head of a football fan in Novi Sad, Serbia AFP/Getty Images 21/38 Saudi Arabia fans in the stands PA 22/38 French fans pose before the Russia 2018 World Cup Group C match between France and Australia at the Kazan AFP/Getty Images 23/38 Denmark fans enjoy the match atmosphere Getty Images 24/38 A man paints the face of a football fan before the opening ceremony and first match of the FIFA World Cup in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil Reuters 25/38 Supporters wave Spanish flags as they watch the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B match vs Portugal AFP/Getty Images 26/38 A fan looks on prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group A match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium Getty Images 27/38 Uruguay fans Reuters 28/38 A Polish fans supports their Group H match vs Senegal at Spartak Stadium Getty Images 29/38 Supporters of the Iranian national team in Moscow Reuters 30/38 Disguised French fans pose during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group C match between France and Australia at the Kazan Arena AFP/Getty Images 31/38 A Russia fan kisses another supporter before the start of the opening match vs Saudi Arabia AFP/Getty Images 32/38 An Egyptian fan wearing pharaoh outfit poses with other supporters in Moscow AP 33/38 Supporters of the Tunisian national soccer team cheer Reuters 34/38 Nepalese youth Jeevan Giri, aged 19, has the name of Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo cut into his hair at the barber shop in Kathmandu, Nepal EPA 35/38 A Morocco fan cheers before the start of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Morocco and Iran AFP/Getty Images 36/38 Excited fans arrive in St Petersburg, Russia for the World Cup Jeremy Selwyn 37/38 Fans of Germany enjoy the pre match atmosphere prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F match Getty Images 38/38 Zabivaka, the official mascot of the FIFA World Cup 2018 walks on stage at the FIFA Fan Fest in Kazan, Russia EPA
Iceland XI: Halldorsson, Saevarsson, Arnason, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Magnusson, Johann Gislason, Gunnarsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Hallfredsson, Bjarnason, Finnbogason
Nigeria XI: Uzoho, Abdullahi, Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Idowu, Ndidi, Etebo, Moses, Mikel, Iwobi, Ighalo
Full World Cup fixture schedule
Iceland and Nigeria square off in in their second 2018 World Cup match on Friday at 11 a.m. ET. Both teams will be looking for the full three points if they have any chance of advancing out of Group D, which also features Croatia and Argentina. Iceland is posted at +165 for Friday's match, meaning you would need to wager $100 on an Iceland victory to gain a $165 profit. Nigeria is at +185 (risk $100 to win $185), while a draw is +205. The Over-Under on total goals scored in this 2018 World Cup match is 2.
Before you enter your 2018 World Cup picks, you have to see what European soccer expert David Sumpter has to say. Sumpter is an applied mathematician who wrote "Soccermatics: Mathematical Adventures in the Beautiful Game," a book that explains how math works inside the sport. Together with other experienced analysts, Sumpter developed the powerful Soccerbot model.
The Soccerbot reads current odds and all team performance data, calculates key metrics and predicts upcoming matches. In nearly three seasons since its inception, the Soccerbot is up an incredible 1,800 percent on bookmakers' closing odds.
The Soccerbot already nailed Brazil-Switzerland playing to a draw (+360), Argentina-Iceland ending in a draw (+385) and Segenal upsetting Poland (+220), just to name a few of its spot-on predictions.
Now, the Soccerbot has digested the film, crunched the numbers and broken down every single player on Iceland and Nigeria's Russia 2018 rosters. The model has released a very strong money-line pick, which it's sharing over at SportsLine.
The model knows Nigeria played evenly with Croatia in its opener, but couldn't break through on the scoreboard in a 2-0 defeat. The Nigerians possessed the ball 47 percent of the time and had several quality scoring opportunities, but couldn't find the back of the net.
In order to advance to the 2018 World Cup knockout stage, Nigeria will almost assuredly need a victory. The Nigerians are led by rising star Kelechi Iheanacho, the 22-year-old Leicester City forward with eight international goals in his brief career.
The model also knows Iceland has Alfred Finnbogason, who scored the team's lone goal against Argentina in the opener. They'll also come armed with hero goaltender Hannes Halldorsson, who stopped Lionel Messi's penalty shot to preserve the 1-1 draw versus Argentina. However, Iceland will be without star winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson (calf) on Friday.
So which hungry nation wins Friday? Or does it end in a draw? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong Iceland-Nigeria money-line pick, all from a European soccer expert whose powerful model is up 1,800 percent in less than three years.
