Finland vs England – Match Preview and team news | OneFootball

England travel to Finland on Sunday as the Three Lions look to bounce back from a humbling home defeat to Greece.

Lee Carsley’s side need maximum points in Helsinki to get their UEFA Nations League campaign back on track, following last week’s setback at Wembley. Carsley’s hopes of earning the England manager role on a permanent basis were dented after that defeat, though the trip to Finland offers the interim boss and his team a chance to respond.

Finland vs England – Match Preview and team news

Form

England: WLWWL

England’s optimism following September’s break was hit after Thursday’s defeat to Greece on home soil. An experimental England team were second best against the group leaders, who earned their first-ever win over the Three Lions at the 10th attempt. Vangelis Pavlidis’ double were the first goals Greece have ever scored at Wembley and the result leaves England second in the group, three points adrift of Ivan Jovanović at the halfway stage.

England cannot afford another slip-up as the Euro 2024 runners-up look to earn promotion back into the top tier of the Nations League. Top spot guarantees promotion, with second entering a play-off.

Carsley opted against using a centre-forward against Greece with Jude Bellingham in an advanced role, though he looks likely to return to the tried and tested with Harry Kane set to return. Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke, who each came off the bench against Greece, are alternative options. Bukayo Saka has left the camp due to injury, while Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is out of contention to make his England debut after withdrawing from the squad due to a personal matter.

Finland: LDLLL

Finland are ranked 64th in the world and England will be expected to navigate the challenge this weekend.

Markku Kanerva’s side have lost all three group games after squandering an early lead to lose to the Republic of Ireland last week. Joel Pohjanpalo’s opener saw Finland lead at the interval, but goals from Liam Scales and Robbie Brady earned the Boys in Green the points.

Finland have lost four of their last five games and have failed to keep a clean sheet in eight games across all competitions. They’ve conceded 2+ goals in each of their last five games and six of their last seven.

Last Meeting

England 2-0 Finland, UEFA Nations League, 10th September 2024

England eased to a 2-0 win over Finland in the first Nations League meeting between the teams last month. Harry Kane celebrated his 100th cap for the Three Lions with both goals, as the 31-year-old extended his record to 68 goals for the national side.

After a frustrating first half for the hosts, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s clever pass set up the first on 57 minutes as Kane lashed home a thumping finish to open the scoring. Alexander-Arnold was involved again in the second, exchanging passes with debutant Noni Madueke who teed up Kane to complete the scoring.

Predicted Lineups

Finland: Hradecky; Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Uronen; Schuller, Peltola; Lod, Kamara, Antman; Pukki.

England: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Guehi, Colwill; Rice, Gomes, Bellingham; Palmer, Gordon, Kane.

Who is the referee?

Giorgi Kruashvili (Georgia).

What TV channel is Finland vs England?

Finland v England will be available to watch on ITV1 and STV for UK viewers.

What time is kick-off?

17:00 BST.

Odds

Finland – 10/1

Draw – 4/1

England – 27/100

Read – Lee Carsley ‘doesn’t want’ England job as FA eye Pep Guardiola

See more – Finland star explains Wayne Rooney tattoo ahead of England clash

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