A full squad will travel to Reykjavík before taking the short trip south to Kópavogur for the game. The Kópavogur stadium holds around five and a half thousand (just under two thousand seats) so the atmosphere at the game will be quite different to that offered in Motherwell.
Same starting eleven this time?
All the indications are that we’ll make a determined effort to secure the vital away goal which should be enough to ensure our progress into the 3rd Qualifying Round and a trip to Norway next week.
Craig summed it up as follows, “I don’t think you go and defend because you’re away from home, we try to score away from home in Europe. We were a wee bit cautious at home in case we lost an away goal, but we’ll be more adventurous up there. We’ve got the same squad and everyone is fit. If we do score there, it will be a major task for them to beat us.”
Much of the threat will come from Sutton’s ability in the air. If we can make progress down the flanks then the telling goal might follow. Of course, we’ll have to be secure at the back and the clean sheet earned in the first leg will provide a boost to the back four and to our new ‘keeper.
The Icelanders rarely threatened at Fir Park and little of the form that has propelled them to the top of their league was in evidence. They won again at the weekend and they must believe that home advantage could tip the tie in their favour.
Now that Motherwell have the first competitive game behind them the bookies have them as favourites to win the game. Some steely concentration will be needed but it should be a happy return flight on Thursday evening as the team relax after a 1-0 win.