Vikingur vs Thun – News and Probable Lineups

Vikingur Reykjavik will host Thun for the second leg of their Europa League third qualifying round match this Thursday evening.

With the Swiss team enjoying a 3-0 lead from the previous match, Vikingur must deliver an outstanding performance to keep their European campaign alive.

Match overview

After falling behind 2-0 to Thun within the first 24 minutes last week, Vikingur likely hoped to make it to stoppage time without suffering further damage.

However, conceding a third goal in the 94th minute could have seriously extinguished their slim hopes of a comeback at home.

Across all competitions, Vikingur has managed only two victories from their last eight outings, one of which was a 2-1 win over Hapoel Beer Sheva in the Champions League second qualifying round.

Nonetheless, Solvi Ottesen will recognize that letting in at least two goals in each of their last four matches does not bode well for their prospects in this fixture.

Vikingur’s margin at the top of the Islândiaic table has also shrunk to six points due to a disappointing eight points from their last five fixtures.

On the other hand, Thun has had a rough start to the new Swiss Super League season, accumulating just three points from three games.

Remarkably, they have conceded 10 goals in their matches against Young Boys and Basel, highlighting that their chances of defending their first-ever top-flight title seem slim.

The silver lining for everyone connected with Thun is that they are on the verge of securing a spot in the main stage of European football for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

If Thun can secure victory on Thursday, they will face either Lech Poznan or KI Klaksvik for a chance to enter the League Phase of the Europa League.

Conversely, the losing team will square off against Borac Banja Luka or ML Vitebsk in the Conference League playoff round.

Team News

Dadi Berg Jonsson was brought back into the attacking lineup for the last domestic fixture and managed to score.

Depending on the chosen formation, Jonsson could keep his spot in Vikingur’s forward line, while Aron Elis Thrandarson may have to sit out.

Armann Ingi Finnbogason is also vying for a chance, but Ottesen might hesitate to make too many changes.

Layton Stewart might get a chance in the Thun forward line, having netted against Basel on Sunday.

Brighton Labeau may also return to the squad after scoring the other consolation goal in a 4-2 defeat.

Michael Heule, Justin Roth, and Valmir Matoshi could also make a comeback after being benched in the last match, while Marco Burki has completed a one-match suspension and could be included in Gian-Luca Pritivili’s defense.

Vikingur Reykjavik probable starting XI:

Fridriksson; Thorkelsson, Vatnhamar, Ekroth; Gunnarsson, Hafsteinsson, Sigurdsson, Gudjonsson; Jonsson, Hauksson, Thordarson

Thun probable starting XI:

Steffen; Fehr, Burgy, Bamert, Heule; Maier, Zoukit, Roth, Matoshi; Labeau, Stewart

Given Thun’s inconsistent performances, we do not anticipate a one-sided match. Nevertheless, the visitors are likely to possess enough talent to progress into the playoff round.