Stjarnan host Víkingur Gøta at Stjörnuvöllur in Garðabær on 9 July 2026, the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round tie, with the winner advancing to the second round. Jón Thór Hauksson leads Stjarnan and Jóhan Petur Poulsen has managed Víkingur since September 2020, though the two have never met in a competitive fixture and their sides reflect that difference in approach: Poulsen tends toward a 4-3 shape, whereas Hauksson's Stjarnan have been inconsistent in 2026 without a clearly defined tactical identity.
Stjarnan arrive in reasonable attacking shape but with real defensive questions. Their last five league outings produced a 2-2 draw against FH Hafnarfjörður, a 3-1 win over KA Akureyri, a 2-1 win against IBV Vestmannaeyjar, a 4-4 draw with Breidablik and a 3-1 win against Afturelding, ten goals scored but conceded almost as readily, with three of those five games producing four or more goals combined. Víkingur have dropped points in their last two outings, losing 0-2 to B36 Tórshavn before being pegged back to a 3-3 draw at NSÍ Runavík, two results that paint a complicated picture of a side that struggles to hold its defensive shape once a game opens up on the road.
Neither club has flagged injury concerns ahead of the tie and both look set to name near-full-strength sides. Stjarnan will likely line up in a 4-4-2 with Ólafsson in goal, a back four of Ervarsson, Örvarsson, Gunnarsson and Ingimarsson and a midfield and attack built around Nökkvason, Eggertsson, Mattiasson, Ingason and Atlason, with final confirmations expected closer to kick off. Víkingur Gøta are expected in a 4-3-3 with Børður á Reynatrøð between the sticks, Arngrimsson and Olavsson prominent in defence and Johansen, Brandsson, Nielsen, Hyllegor and Benjaminsen in the forward positions.
Stjarnan's Nökkvason and Eggertsson against Víkingur's Johansen is the contest to watch: if Stjarnan control that zone, the wide options and Atlason should receive enough ball to test the Víkingur back line but if Johansen's midfield stays compact, Nielsen and Hyllegor become the danger on the break. Stjarnan have scored ten goals in their last five matches, so there is no shortage of threat going forward, though their defensive record over the same run makes a clean sheet hard to picture regardless of who is doing the attacking.
The two sides have never met in senior competition and the artificial surface at Stjörnuvöllur gives Stjarnan a genuine home advantage, while Víkingur face a longer journey to the second leg back in the Faroe Islands.
A 1-1 draw feels the most likely outcome. Stjarnan should create the better chances at home and are likely to score but their defensive record makes a clean sheet unlikely against a Víkingur side whose 3-3 at NSÍ showed they can find goals even when things fall apart on the road. A draw sends both teams to the Faroe Islands level.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
