Will Vikingur fail in the preliminary round of qualifying?
The qualifying for the Champions League 2022/23 starts this week. For the time being, only the matches in the preliminary round of the qualifying are scheduled, where a total of four clubs fight for the right to start in the first qualifying round of the top division. FCI Levadia and Vikingur Rejkjavik are also in the thick of it.
For the Icelandic representative it is only the second participation in a CL qualification. FCI Levadia, on the other hand, is taking part in a qualifier for the top flight for the tenth time in the club’s history. So far, the best result in the Champions League was the third qualifying round in the 2009/10 season.
The match between the two clubs will take place in Rejkjavik, Iceland. Vikingur will benefit from home advantage to a certain extent, even though the semi-final in the preliminary round of CL qualifying is declared as a match on “neutral ground”. As the odds comparison of the betting base shows, the Icelanders are therefore slight favourites against FCI Levadia.
Before the qualifier against the Estonian club, Vikingur Reykjavik refuelled their confidence with a small winning streak. The Icelanders not only celebrated four wins in a row, but also warmed up with a total of 15 goals in that period.
Levadia – Statistics & current form
FCI Levadia is one of the most successful teams in Estonia. Last season, head coach Vladimir Vassiljev’s team won the league title for the tenth time in the club’s history and thus won the right to enter the preliminary round of CL qualifying. Because the new season already started in March 2022, FCI Levadia is currently in normal league play.
In the meantime, 17 match days have been played in the league. FCI Levadia are currently tied for second place in the Meistriliiga with arch-rivals and record champions FC Flora. After 17 matchdays, last year’s champions have the strongest defence and the second strongest offence in the league.
Since their last defeat against FC Flora in April 2022, FCI Levadia have not lost any of their last eight matches in the Meistriliiga. Levadia Tallinn have even won seven of their last eight league matches, including their recent dress rehearsal against Parnus JK Vaprus, where FCI Levadia scored as many as four goals.
FCI Levadia in the preliminary round of CL qualifying for the first time
Last year’s champions from Estonia will feature in the preliminary round of CL qualifying for the first time in the club’s history. Previously, the Green-Whites from Tallinn have taken part in the qualifiers for the top flight nine times. The best result was the third qualifying round in the 2009/20 season, when FCI Levadia only lost to Debrecen.
Since then, Levadia Tallinn have had to bow out in the second qualifying round of the top flight at the latest. The club last played against an Icelandic club in July 2019 as part of the EL qualifiers. On that occasion, Levadia had to bow out of the competition with an aggregate score of 4:4 against Stjarnan – the Icelanders scored more away goals.
The chance for revenge is now in this year’s preliminary qualification for the top division. FCI Levadia are not expected to make any major changes from the starting eleven that last played in the league against Pärnu Vaprus. Zakaria Beglarishvili has been the Estonians’ most prolific scorer so far in the league with ten goals. It is quite possible that the season’s form will also be underpinned on the international stage.
Expected line-up of Levadia:
Vallner – Pikk – Mitrovic – Ugge – Peetson – Lepistu – Putincanin – Roosnupp – Beglarishvili – Agyiri – Liliu
Last matches played by Levadia:
Meistriliiga
16/06/2022 – FCI Levadia 4 – 1 Parnu JK Vaprus
29/05/2022 – FCI Levadia 1 – 1 Flora Tallinn
24/05/2022 – TJK Legion 1 – 3 FCI Levadia
18/05/2022 – Nomme JK Kalju 0 – 1 FCI Levadia
15/05/2022 – FCI Levadia 1 – 0 Paide Linnameeskond
Vikingur – Statistics & current form
Last season, Vikingur Reykjavik won the Icelandic top flight championship for the sixth time in the club’s history, earning the right to qualify for the top flight for the second time in the club’s history. The last time Vikingur were represented in CL qualifying, they lost to ZSKA Moscow in the first round of CL qualifying in 1992/93.
After a first and second leg defeat, the club had to bow out of the qualifiers for the top division with an overall result of 2:5. Since then, the Vikings have only been to the international stage twice. In both appearances, Vikingur were represented in the EL qualifiers.
Neither in 2015/16 nor in 2020/21 did the Icelandic representatives manage to reach the first round of qualifying. It is therefore all the more surprising that they are favourites for the upcoming match against FCI Levadia in the preliminary round of CL qualifying. Although the match will be played at the Icelanders’ home ground, the Vikings’ home advantage should not be overrated.
Vikingur lack experience on the international stage
After all, there have already been two home defeats in a total of six home games in the league. In addition, hardly any opponent in the league had the calibre of FCI Levadia. Despite the home advantage, we therefore think it is risky to place a bet on Levadia vs Vikingur. However, bettors who still want to make a prediction should take a look at the current bonus offers of the betting providers.
Just like their upcoming opponents from Estonia, Vikingur Reykjavik will start the match on the international stage with their best players. In the dress rehearsal before the match against FCI Levadia, Vikingur won 3-0 at IB Vestmannaeyjar last matchday. Crystal Mani Ingason scored again to add to his tally.
In a total of nine league games, the Vikings’ winger now has six scoring points (4 goals, 2 assists). The 20-year-old will therefore remain in the starting eleven for Vikingur’s upcoming match.
Predicted line-up of Vikingur:
Ingason – Agnarsson – Andrason – Ekroth – Gunnarsson – Ingason – Ingason – Magnusson – Punyed – Sigurdsson – Tomasson
Last matches played by Vikingur:
Besta deildin
16/06/2022 – IBV Vestmannaeyjar 0 – 3 Vikingur Reykjavik
29/05/2022 – Vikingur Reykjavik 2 – 1 KA Akureyri
Cup
27/05/2022 – Haukar 0 – 7 Vikingur Reykjavik
Besta deildin
23/05/2022 – Valur 1 – 3 Vikingur Reykjavik
17/05/2022 – Vikingur Reykjavik 0 – 3 Breidablik
Levadia – Vikingur Direct comparison / H2H balance
FCI Levadia and Vikingur meet for the first time ever
Levadia – Vikingur Tip
When it comes to experience on the international stage, FCI Levadia undoubtedly have the edge over Vikingur. After all, the ten-time champions from Estonia have been to the top flight qualifiers nine times. The Estonian representatives once even made it to the third qualifying round.
Vikingur Reykjavik, on the other hand, are a blank slate in the top flight. So far, the Vikings have only made one appearance in the qualifiers for the top flight, failing miserably against ZSKA Moscow in 1992. Since then, the Icelanders have participated in UEFA’s European Cup qualifiers only twice.
It is therefore surprising – despite home advantage for Vikingur – that the Icelandic representative is rated as favourite against FCI Levadia. In contrast to the bookmakers, we see last year’s champions from Estonia as favourites and therefore dare to bet on Levadia vs Vikingur at odds of 2.88 on the green and white team from Tallinn. We are using five units for this bet.
