Ukraine vs Iceland Preview & Prediction: Team News, H2H, lineups 2025
Ukraine vs Iceland Preview – Match Preview
Ukraine will play their last match in Group D after a tough 4-0 loss to France on Thursday. Kylian Mbappé scored as France dominated the second half and hit four goals at the Parc des Princes.
Before that defeat, Serhiy Rebrov’s team had earned important wins against Iceland (5-3) and Azerbaijan (2-1) in October, which kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive. Ukraine are now third in the group, just behind Iceland on goal difference.
Ukraine’s defence has been weak for some time, and this has caused many high-scoring matches. In their last 10 international games, only two finished with less than 2.5 goals. In seven of those ten, both teams scored.
Iceland kept their qualification hopes strong with an important away win against Azerbaijan on Thursday. Albert Gudmundsson and Sverrir Ingi Ingason scored in the first half, helping them take a comfortable victory in Baku.
Before this win, Iceland had gone three Group D matches without a victory. Even with those poor results, Iceland will reach the playoff if they avoid defeat on Sunday. All three of their losses had BTTS and over 2.5 goals.
Even though Iceland lost 5-3 at home to Ukraine last month, they still sit second in the group, ahead of Ukraine on goal difference.
Match Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | Ukraine vs Iceland |
| Competition | 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
| Date (Today) | 16 Nov 2025 |
| Kick-off | 10:30 PM IST (18:00 CET) |
| Venue | Legia Stadium |
| City | Warsaw, Poland |
Head-to-Head Stats
| Match Player | Ukraine Win | Iceland Win | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Ukraine vs Iceland – last 5 head-to-head encounters
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 2025 | Iceland | 3–5 | Ukraine | World Cup Qualifier |
| 27 Mar 2024 | Ukraine | 2–1 | Iceland | Euro Qualifier / Play-off |
| 06 Sep 2017 | Iceland | 2–0 | Ukraine | World Cup Qualifier |
| 06 Sep 2016 | Ukraine | 1–1 | Iceland | World Cup Qualifier |
Ukraine – last 5 Matches
| Date | Competition | Home Team | Away Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | France | Ukraine | 4–0 |
| 13 Oct 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Ukraine | Azerbaijan | 2–1 |
| 10 Oct 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Iceland | Ukraine | 3–5 |
| 09 Sep 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Azerbaijan | Ukraine | 1–1 |
| 06 Sep 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Ukraine | France | 0–2 |
Iceland – last 5 Matches
| Date | Competition | Home Team | Away Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Azerbaijan | Iceland | 0–2 |
| 13 Oct 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Iceland | France | 2–2 |
| 10 Oct 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Iceland | Ukraine | 3–5 |
| 09 Sep 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | France | Iceland | 2–1 |
| 05 Sep 2025 | 2026 WC Qualifying (UEFA) | Iceland | Azerbaijan | 5–0 |
Ukraine vs Iceland Team Comparison
| Team | Pos (Group D) | Played | W-D-L | Points | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded | Goal Diff | Form (Last 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 3rd | 9 | 4-2-3 | 14 | 14 | 15 | −1 | L-W-W-D-L |
| Iceland | 2nd | 9 | 4-3-2 | 15 | 18 | 13 | +5 | W-D-L-L-W |
Ukraine vs Iceland: Team strengths vs risks
| Team | Strengths | Risks |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | Strong ball possession play, Fast wingers creating chances, Solid defensive structure, Big threat from set pieces, Consistent form in qualifiers | Struggle when chasing the game, Poor finishing at times, Occasional defensive errors under pressure, Heavy reliance on key midfielders |
| Iceland | Strong physical presence, Direct long-ball attacking style, Very dangerous on set pieces, High pressing & work rate, Compact low-block defending | Difficulty keeping possession vs strong teams, Slow backline vulnerable to pace, Over-reliance on set pieces for goals, Struggle against quick transitions |
Ukraine vs Iceland Team News & Lineup
Ukraine (4-2-3-1):
Team news:
Head coach Rebrov may change the lineup after their poor second-half performance in Paris. Mykola Shaparenko, Vladyslav Vanat, and Viktor Tsygankov might return to the starting eleven. Roma striker Artem Dovbyk has pulled out of the squad due to fitness issues.
Iceland (4-3-3):
Team news:
Ukraine vs Iceland Match Prediction
Both teams find it hard to keep clean sheets, and I think the same will happen in Sunday’s must-win match. The best bet is BTTS, and another good option is BTTS with Over 2.5 goals.
| Market Result + BTTS | Pick | Why | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match Result + BTTS | BTTS: Yes & Over 2.5 Goals | Both teams score regularly but concede a lot. Their previous meeting ended 5-3, and both sides depend heavily on attacking play. | ★★★★☆ |
| Clean Sheet | No Clean Sheet (Both concede) | Ukraine’s defence has been weak recently, while Iceland also struggles to keep clean sheets in tough games. | ★★★★☆ |
| HT/FT | Draw / Ukraine | Iceland usually starts well, but Ukraine often grows stronger in the second half, especially at home. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Total Goals (safer) | Over 2.5 Goals | Ukraine have seen 8 of their last 10 matches go over 2.5, and Iceland’s last games also had many goals. | ★★★★☆ |
| Exact Margin (long shot) | Ukraine to win by 1 goal (2-1 or 3-2) | High-scoring match expected, but Ukraine may edge it narrowly due to home advantage and stronger mid-attack. | ★★★☆☆ |