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Scotland vs Israel Prediction & Betting tips
One of the most exciting constellations at the start of the new Nations League awaits us on Friday evening in Glasgow’s Hampden Park. Scotland welcomes Israel. Although the home side are considered favorites by the best bookmakers according to the odds, a special starting position ensures a lot of explosiveness and tension.
The match in Group 2 of Division B is nothing more than the forerunner or the dress rehearsal for the upcoming direct duel in the playoff semifinals for the EM participation in the coming month. At the beginning of October, the national teams face each other again in the same place and then determine which troop can fight for one of the last tickets for the European Championship finals in 2021 in a potential final against Serbia or Norway.
In view of the relatively unimportant importance on Friday evening, the prognosis between Scotland and Israel should be considered. Who is already laying all the cards on the table and who has an ace up their sleeve in view of the semi-finals in the playoffs?
From a purely qualitative point of view, the Scots are certainly to be rated better, especially since on the part of the guests, the posse around the coaching position in the last few weeks and months has not necessarily contributed to the Israelis being able to prepare optimally for the first international matches in ten months. Under these circumstances, before the Nations League game Scotland against Israel, a tip on the home win is quite close.
Scotland:
In 1996 the Scottish national team was allowed to take part in a European Championship for the last time, the last World Cup participation dates from 1998. The current generation of Bravehearts therefore does not know the feeling of being allowed to play in a major national tournament at all. All the greater is the desire and motivation to get the right to start the final round in 2021, especially since Hampden Park in Glasgow will be home to a total of four games, three preliminary rounds and a round of 16.
That the world number 50. You can still dream of your first European Championship participation in 25 years thanks to the unpopular Nations League. There the Scots prevailed in Division C in the first edition, just ahead of Israel and Albania, were promoted to Division B and at the same time earned the chance to fight for the last tickets in playoff games.
There, coach Steve Clarke’s team will face Israel again on October 8th. The Scots will also contest the dress rehearsal on Friday evening against the Israelis, who were defeated 3-2 at home in the last direct duel to date about two years ago.
We have to put a question mark behind the current form of the Bravehearts, since the last international match, as for every other nation, is almost a year in the past. At least the team around Liverpool star Andrew Robertson have three wins in the last three matches, although the opposition with Kazakhstan, Cyprus and San Marino was relatively easy.
In our opinion, there are several factors that justify the lower odds on the home win between Scotland and Israel. Be it the higher quality available or the home advantage that should not be underestimated in Scotland, even without admitted spectators. In addition, the fact that the majority of the players in the domestic Premiership have been collecting competition practice for several weeks also plays an important role in our analysis.
Israel:
When the news came at the end of June that Andreas Herzog would not extend his contract, which expired in the summer, those responsible at the Israeli association reacted with dismay and disappointment. The former Bundesliga professional has done a good job in recent years and developed a team that may have the chance to reach a European Championship finals for the first time in history next month.
In the decisive playoff matches, however, he will no longer be responsible. His successor, Willi Ruttensteiner, is also an Austrian who once brought Herzog to Israel and who will continue to perform his role as sports director. Probably the most important question will be how the team copes with the change in the coaching bench. In this respect, the first international match in 2020 on Friday evening in Glasgow is a welcome benchmark.
Admittedly, the participation of the world ranking 93. to be called a real godsend at the playoffs. Despite second place in the Nations League Group C, the white-blue team got hold of in the decision-making round, as other competitors had already bought the ticket for the final round via the European Championship qualification.
Incidentally, the 1970 World Cup participant didn’t get past fifth in his group. In the end, there were only three wins in ten encounters, even though they were allowed to play two matches each against Macedonia, Slovenia and Latvia. Despite a certain potential in the offensive, which is well staffed with European legionnaires such as Weissman, Dabbur, Solomon or Zahavi, the bottom line disappointing results from the international match year 2019 do not serve as an argument for a Scotland versus Israel forecast for the guest.
Scotland vs Israel head to head matches
20.11.18 UNL Scotland Israel 3 : 2
11.10.18 UNL Israel Scotland 2 : 1
27.04.81 WC Scotland Israel 3 : 1
24.02.81 WC Israel Scotland 0 : 1
