The Cote d'Azur was ready for a modern battle between the "Vikings" and the English, the world expected the triumph of the football giant, but on June 27, 2016, Nice witnessed one of the most beautiful stories in history...
Iceland, a country with slightly less than 400.000 inhabitants, the smallest country to play in the European Championship, defeated the nation where football was born, the mighty "proud Albion", and sensationally made it to the quarter-finals.
Those were the golden days of football in the "land of fire and ice", soon in 2018, Iceland played at the World Cup in Russia (of course, as the smallest country in history there as well), during the last years it was not present at major competitions, but today everyone they know that the "Vikings" are far from the outsiders they once were.
The English are especially aware of this, as Montenegro's first rival in this year's League of Nations also taught them a lesson in June - at Wembley, when they won 1:0 in a friendly match.
No fear against the giants
It is not only England that had to bow to the army from the north of Europe, as Iceland reached the mentioned Euro 2016 ahead of the Netherlands (they defeated both times in the qualifiers) and Turkey. At the European Championship Gilfi Sigurdson and comrades played a draw with Portugal and defeated Austria before the historic victory over "proud Albion".
They reached the 2018 World Cup as winners of the group in which Croatia was, and in Russia they registered a sensational point against Messi's Argentina.
The Icelanders felt the call of a big competition again this March, when they led 2024:1 against Ukraine in the decisive playoff match to go to Euro 0, but they didn't last until the end, so their dreams were crushed six minutes before the end. Mihajlo Mudrik.
From Gilfi to Gudjonsen's son
The matches in the above-mentioned barrage were marked by the new striker of Fiorentina (then great in Genoa). Albert Gudmunson, who fortunately for Montenegro will not be at the start of the League of Nations due to an injury.
Selector Oge Hareide for the matches with the "falcons" on Friday and against Turkey three days later, he returned the legend Gilfi Sigurdsson to the national team - the former star of the Premier League at the age of 34 can still bring a lot to his national team, even though he is now defending the colors of the home Valur.
The Norwegian expert, on the other hand, decided not to invite the legendary captain Arona Gunarsona, so instead Iceland will lead with the captain's armband Johan Gudmundson, the guy who defended the colors of Burnley for almost a decade.
In addition to the already famous experienced players, Iceland can boast of a great new generation, young men who are already in strong European leagues or are knocking on their doors - like strikers Orija Oskarsona i Andrija Gudjonsena.
The first was the desire of Manchester City, but this summer he ended up in Sociedad, while the second is the son Ejdura Gudjonsena, the legend who wore the shirts of Chelsea and Barcelona.
The selector Hareide does not need to be specially introduced considering that Montenegro has already played against him - in the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup when he led Denmark.
The Falcons celebrated in Copenhagen with a goal Fatos Bećiraj, while the Scandinavians took revenge under Gorica via Christian Eriksen.
Sigurdson from the start, the new Haaland on the bench
How Iceland could look in the match with Montenegro was written by the media in that country, so the portal "DV" brings the expected 11.
What the seventh force is sure of is that Gylfi Sigurdson will be on the field from the start, while Ori Oskarson, the sensation and the guy they call the new Erling Haaland, will start from the bench.
The place in the attack will be taken by Ejdur Gudjonsen's son and Gent offensive player Andri Gudjonsen, who they say "bought" Hareide in the previous matches.
Iceland should start against Montenegro in Reykjavik with the following lineup: Hakon Valdimarson (Brentford), Viktor Palson (Plimut), Hjortur Hermanson (Karareze), Danijel Gretarson (Senderjiske), Kolbein Finson (Utreht), Jahan Gudmundson (Al-Orobah), Arnor Traustason (Norčeping), Gilfi Sigurdson (Valur), Jon Dagur Torsteinson (Herta), Hakon Haraldson (Lil), Andri Gudjonsen (Gent).
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