Finland vs Ireland: Nations League Match Preview and Prediction

The Nations League Group B2 third-round match between Finland and Ireland will take place on October 10th at the Olympiastadion in Helsinki. Kick-off is at 19:45 local time. Here’s a detailed Finland vs Ireland prediction, analysis and betting odds.

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (North Macedonia)

• Matches officiated: 14 (International matches, 2022/23–2023/2024)
• Yellow cards shown (including second yellows): 72
• Average yellow cards per match: 5.1
• Red cards shown: 4
• Average fouls per match: 25
• Penalties: 29%

Finland National Team

Finland’s first two matches in the 2024/25 Nations League were away fixtures, both of which they lost without scoring. Markku Kanerva's team was first thrashed 3-0 by Greece, followed by a 2-0 defeat to England in the second round. As a result, Finland sits at the bottom of Group 2, trailing Ireland based on tiebreakers. Interestingly, Finland hasn't drawn any of their last 14 official matches (7 wins and 7 losses).

• In their last six Nations League matches, Finland has won only once (1 draw and 4 losses).
• No more than two goals were scored in 6 of Finland’s last 8 games in this tournament.
• Finland conceded in the second half in 7 of their last 10 Nations League matches.

Ireland National Team

Similarly, Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Ireland also lost their first two matches in the current Nations League campaign, failing to score in either. The Irish started with a 2-0 home defeat to England and then lost 2-0 away to Greece. Notably, Ireland has lost 6 of their last 7 official matches, managing only one win, and that was against Gibraltar.

• Ireland has played 18 Nations League matches, winning only twice (6 draws and 10 losses).
• No more than two goals were scored in 14 of Ireland's last 17 Nations League matches.
• At least one team failed to score in 10 of Finland’s last 13 Nations League matches.

Finland vs Ireland Prediction

In this clash between the bottom two teams of Group 2, I favor Markku Kanerva’s Finland. The home advantage is crucial here. Despite their unconvincing overall record, Finland has performed well in the Nations League at home – winning 6, drawing 2, and losing only 1 of their 9 home matches.

Ireland, on the other hand, has been slipping in the FIFA rankings in recent years. They have lost 9 of their last 12 official matches. Ireland’s performance in the Nations League has been particularly poor, with no wins in their 8 away matches (3 draws and 5 losses) and only three goals scored in these fixtures.

Our prediction is a Finland win with a handicap (0).