Iceland v Wales: 'I'm excited, I knew this group was good' - Craig Bellamy
Nations League: Iceland v Wales
Venue: Laugardalsvollur, Reykjavik Date: Friday, 11 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds & live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
Wales are ready to embrace greater expectations as they look to maintain Craig Bellamy’s unbeaten start as head coach in Friday’s Nations League match in Iceland.
Bellamy’s side showed huge promise during last month’s opening goalless draw with Euro 2024 quarter-finalists Turkey, followed by a 2-1 win in Montenegro.
That put Wales level on points with Turkey at the top of Group B4, and it is their adventurous new style of play which has really fanned excitement among fans, pundits and the players themselves.
“I’d be worried if there wasn’t expectations. I certainly don’t believe in ever trying to play them down,” said Bellamy.
“I don’t think that would be fair to people who come to watch. We have a level of patience but also understanding within the group, we have to be sensible as well, but for anyone whether it’s the public or whatever, if they’re excited that’s exactly where we want them to be.
“I certainly wouldn’t play that down. I’ve got to be honest, I’m excited.”
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Iceland are 42 places lower than Wales in the world rankings, down in 71st place.
Age Hareide’s side started their Nations League campaign with a 2-0 win at home against Montenegro before losing 3-1 in Turkey.
This is a very different looking Icelandic team to the one that shocked England at Euro 2016 and qualified for the 2018 World Cup, with stalwarts such as Aron Gunnarsson, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Alfred Finnbogason no longer involved.
Captain Johann Berg Gudmundsson is one who survives from that era, and the former Burnley midfielder is encouraged by this younger generation’s progress.
“There’s definitely been a rebuild,” said Gudmundsson. “We are a small nation so we’re not going to produce fantastic players every year, it’s just not going to happen.
“We are in that phase, but we’re coming out of it in the right direction. If you see the results, they’re getting better and we’re performing much better. We’ve had a lot of problems off the field as well so it’s been difficult.
“We are concentrating on tomorrow. It should be a good game and hopefully we can get three points.”
Team news
Tottenham defender Ben Davies has made 88 appearances for Wales and scored two goals
Wales are without captain Aaron Ramsey, fellow midfielder Ethan Ampadu and winger Daniel James because of injury.
In the absence of Cardiff City midfielder Ramsey, Tottenham defender Ben Davies will again skipper Wales.
Bellamy has been able to bolster his attacking options with the return to fitness of Bournemouth playmaker David Brooks and Ipswich Town duo Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns.
The head coach has also recalled Joe Allen after the veteran Swansea City midfielder came out of international retirement.
However, Allen - who has not yet started a game for his club this season because of fitness issues - is not included in the matchday 23 for the game in Iceland.
His Swans team-mate Ollie Cooper could earn a second successive Wales start in Reykjavik, having made his first in Montenegro last month.
Former Tottenham and Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is a doubt for Iceland having missed the past two games for his Icelandic club Valur.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina forward Albert Gudmundsson was acquitted of sexual assault charges in Reykjavik on Thursday and is now eligible to play for the national team.
The 27-year-old has not played for Iceland since scoring in their Euro 2024 play-off final defeat by Ukraine in March.
Hareide said he did not know if it was possible for Gudmundsson to line up against Wales, with Turkey's visit to Reykjavik on Monday a more realistic date for his potential return.
Match facts
Iceland have won only one of their previous seven meetings with Wales (one draw, five defeats), a 1-0 home win in September 1984 in a World Cup qualifier.
Wales have won each of their past four games against Iceland, most recently 3-1 in a March 2014 friendly – they have previously only won five successive matches against two opponents: Luxembourg (six between 1974 and 2010) and Azerbaijan (five between 2005 and 2019).
Iceland have won one of their 16 games in the Nations League (four draws, 11 defeats), though it did come last month at home against Montenegro.
Wales won their most recent match, 2-1 in Montenegro, and are aiming to win back-to-back away games in all competitions for the first time since September 2020 under Ryan Giggs (Azerbaijan and Finland).
Iceland are unbeaten in their past four home games in all competitions (three wins, one draw) since a 1-0 loss to Portugal in June 2023 – they are looking to win three such matches in a row for the first time since September 2019.
Craig Bellamy is unbeaten in his two games in charge (one win, one draw) and could become the first Wales boss to avoid defeat in each of his first three competitive matches.
Jon Thorsteinsson has scored two goals across his past four appearances for Iceland, just one fewer than across his 33 international caps prior – three of the past four goals he has have come in the Nations League.
Harry Wilson has been directly involved in seven goals across his past eight Wales starts (three goals, four assists), scoring (three) or assisting (three) six of their past 10 goals across all competitions.
