Finland vs Ireland Prediction & Betting Tips - UEFA Nations League

Prediction published on 12/10/2020, 00:54  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 12/10/2020 at 01:02 in UEFA Nations League Predictions

Finland’s quest for top spot in Group 4 of League B in the Nations League will be under test when they host Republic of Ireland on Wednesday in Helsinki. Ahead of the game, Finland are second in the group on six points, one behind leaders Wales while Ireland are third with two points after three matches for both sides. Finland march to this game straight from a 2-0 home win over Bulgaria, recovering from a 5-1 loss to Poland in the friendly match that came before that. In the first meeting in the group, Finland beat Ireland 1-0 away through Fredrik Jensen’s goal and he was on the score sheet again as they beat Bulgaria on Sunday. It was Finland’s second straight clean sheet in the Nations League and the third straight game they have managed to score. In their last 13 matches, Finland have failed to score in just one and they have done well defensively, keeping eight clean sheets in the process. The win over Bulgaria saw them recover from the home defeat to Wales in their first group game and it means Finland have now won 12 and lost just three of their last 17 games at home. They have so far played nine Nations league matches starting from the inaugural competition, and won six. Of the three losses suffered in the competition, only one has come at home – against Wales. They have won four of five home games in the competition and kept clean sheets in all the wins.

Republic of Ireland have two wins in four meetings with Finland, but none of these were in competitive action. They will be hoping to get one here to try and salvage their Nations League campaign that hit another low after drawing 0-0 at home with Wales on Sunday. The result left them winless not just in the group, but also in the last five matches. They have also failed to score in three straight matches and their problems were compounded by the loss on penalties to Slovakia in the Euro qualification playoff semi final earlier. Ireland will be frustrated more by the fact that they have a quality team but can’t seem to get things going their way, and will be without James McClean, who was sent off late in the Wales game. The recent goal drought is nothing new; Ireland are not known for scoring many goals. In their last 20 matches, they have scored more than once in just three games and have failed to score completely in nine. Away from home, they have also failed to win any of the last five and haven’t scored in three of the last four. Ireland do not have a particularly good run in the Nations League; they have never won a Nations League game, losing three and drawing four of the seven matches they have played in the competition.