Wales vs Finland prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification – Promotion betting tips on match 2024-03-20 19:45.
[p]Failure to progress automatically from their respective UEFA European Championship qualifying groups leaves Wales and Finland, both of whom reached the 2020 finals, in do-or-die territory if they’re to travel to Germany this summer for the tournament. The pair collide in a play-off semi-final in Cardiff with much more on the line than merely qualification for Wales boss Rob Page, whose job may well be at stake if his side fail to reach a major international tournament for just the second time since 2016.[/p]
[p]This play-off format has treated him well in the past at least which will give him confidence, with Wales seeing off Austria and Ukraine in 2022 to reach just their second-ever World Cup. Both of those fixtures were at the Cardiff City Stadium, just as this one and a potential final against Poland or Estonia, which could prove to be a huge advantage for the Welsh players as they’ve been beaten just once in Euro qualifying at this venue since March 2011 (W10, D4)![/p]
[p]Finland, ranked some 31 places lower than their hosts, travel to the Welsh capital as underdogs then, as they look to reach just their second ever major international tournament. Markku Kanerva’s side at least ended their own qualifying run with back-to-back victories to boost confidence heading into this clash, even if those successes did come at the expense of Northern Ireland and San Marino.[/p]
[p]Recent meetings with Wales have not gone well for the Eagle-owls however, failing to win any of the three meetings to take place in the last decade (D1, L2). Both competitive H2Hs ended in defeat for Finland, including a 3-1 reverse at this ground in November 2020, leaving them without a victory over the Dragons since October 2009.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Wales target man Kieffer Moore has directly contributed to seven goals in ten appearances since signing for Championship side Ipswich Town (G6, A1), and could carry that recent form into this clash since all of his last three international strikes have come on Welsh soil. His opposite number is Finland’s all-time leading scorer Teemu Pukki, who was on target on his last visit to Wales on the international stage. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Just two of Finland’s last nine matches saw both teams score on the day.[/p]