ÖHB men grasping at the last straw
Austria is playing a sensational European Handball Championship 2024 so far. The ÖHB men have been the favorites in the current tournament and have already surprised some elite teams. The Austrian handball team has only lost to France so far in the current European Championship.
The group final against Iceland will now take place on Wednesday. While the Vikings no longer have a mathematical chance of reaching the semi-finals, it is a “do or die” game for Austria. The ÖHB men have to win in order to take second place after all in the event of a possible shootout with the competition. Our Austria vs Iceland handball betting tip is aimed at this
The team of ÖHB coach Pajovic has a realistic chance of beating the out-of-form Vikings. It is more than surprising that the bookmakers are offering odds of up to 2.45. After all, Iceland have lost three of their last four European Championship matches
The results in the preparatory phase for Euro 2024 should not be overrated. Iceland beat the ÖHB men 33:28 and 37:30 in the two test matches before the European Handball Championship. A high-scoring match is also likely this time. Bookmaker Intertops can also be used for an Austria vs. Iceland prediction.
Austria – Statistics & current form
Austria already caused a sensation in the preliminary round of Euro 2024, successfully progressing in a group with Romania, Croatia and Spain. The ÖHB team remained unbeaten in these three group matches and thus also earned the extra point for the main round. With four points, Austria is in fourth place ahead of the group final on Wednesday.
Pajovic’s team therefore still has a mathematical chance of reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2024. To do so, the Austrian handball team will not only have to win their group match against Iceland, but will also have to rely on Croatia’s help. Austria will only progress to the semi-finals if the German handball team loses.
Considering how strongly the ÖHB team performed against France recently, it is by no means unreasonable to place a bet on Ales Pajovic’s team in the Austria v Iceland handball match. After all, Austria led 16:15 in the first half against the French top team
Is the ÖHB team setting the stage for a surprise?
The defeat against the French ended the Austrian handball team’s run of success. With a 2-3-0 record in the five previous European Championship matches, Austria not only scored points against Spain and Croatia in the preliminary round of Euro 2024, but also pulled off a surprise in the main round with a draw against European Championship hosts Germany.
Austria have scored 28+ goals in five of their last six matches. Only against the DHB team did they score a meagre 22 goals – on both sides, mind you. Nikola Bilyk remains the best scorer for the ÖHB men. The THW Kiel backcourt player is causing a sensation at the European Championship and has already scored 37 goals.
It is quite possible that Bilyk will also cause a sensation against Iceland. Bets on the number of goals scored by the ÖHB men’s star player can be placed at Bet365
Island – Statistics & current form
Island are in fifth place after four matchdays in the main round. The Vikings no longer have a mathematical chance of reaching the semi-finals and have therefore been eliminated from the group stage. The Icelandic national handball team avoided a super-GAU in the group with a win against Croatia and picked up their first points.
Iceland scored 30+ goals in a match for the third time in the current European Championship 2024. The performance was certainly commendable, even if the result was of no particular significance. After trailing 16:18 in the first half, the Vikings fought back to win 19:12 in the second half and clinch a well-deserved victory.
The team of national coach Snorri Gudjonsson will now face Austria in the group final. As the match has no special significance for Iceland, it can be assumed that the Icelandic handball players will deliver another offensive spectacle – as they did against Croatia. There is enough potential in the Icelandic squad for this
Open exchange of blows with the ÖHB men?
The two nations met twice as part of their preparations for the European Championship. Gudjonsson’s team beat the ÖHB selection twice. Iceland scored 30+ goals in both encounters. It therefore makes sense to bet on a high-scoring encounter between Austria and Iceland Handball.
Especially as the defensive deficits of the Icelanders confirm this assessment. The Vikings have conceded at least 25 goals per match in every European Championship game so far. It is quite possible that the negative trend will continue against Austria. The Icelanders have conceded a total of 69 times against France and Croatia in their last two European Championship matches
Austria – Iceland head-to-head / H2H result
In the last 14 H2Hs, Iceland’s record against Austria is 10-1-3. The Icelanders have won each of the last four international matches against the ÖHB men since April 2014, scoring at least 33 goals in each of them. The last time the two nations met in the run-up to the European Championship, they even broke the 67-goal mark in the match
Austria – Iceland betting tip
For the Icelandic handball team, the group final against the ÖHB team no longer has any special significance. Gudjonsson’s team can no longer qualify for the semi-finals of Euro 2024 and will therefore finish the group stage. The Vikings’ most recent match against Croatia was an insignificant 35:30 victory.
Iceland had previously suffered three defeats in a row, including a heavy defeat (32:39) against France. Iceland have therefore conceded 30+ goals in three of their last four European Championship games. Austria therefore have a realistic chance of winning the upcoming match and thus taking second place – if only for the time being
We dare to bet on the ÖHB men with a stake of five units on Austria vs Iceland Handball. Betano offers the best odds for this. Pajovic’s team made a positive impression throughout the European Championship 2024 and should therefore not be underestimated against Iceland. As an alternative to a bet on the ÖHB team, you can also consider betting on a high-scoring encounter
