Finland vs Malta: prediction & betting odds 14 November 2025

The Matchday 9 fixture of the 2026 World Cup qualification between Finland and Malta will be held on November 14 at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. Finland vs. Malta: prediction and betting odds, statistics.

Finland

The team will play its final match in the current qualification cycle. In the last round, Jakob Friis's side visited the Netherlands and suffered a 0-4 defeat to the group leaders. As a result, the team has almost lost the chance to fight for at least second place. The chance to surpass Poland is only mathematical. Finland needs to thrash Malta by as large a margin as possible and hope for Poland's defeats in both remaining rounds. In case of a tie on points, the fate of the second spot in the group will be determined by goal difference, which is currently much better for Poland (by 11 goals).

• At least 3 goals have been scored in Finland's last 4 World Cup qualifiers.
• The team has not won in 9 of their last 13 home matches in this tournament (3 draws and 6 losses).
• Exactly two or three goals have been scored in Finland's last 5 home games in World Cup qualification.

Predicted lineup for Finland (5-3-2)

Jesse Joronen – Ville Koski, Nikolai Alho, Robert Ivanov, Juho Lähteenmäki, Miro Tenho – Kaan Kairinen, Leo Valta, Adam Marhiev – Joel Pohjanpalo, Benjamin Källman.

Defender Matti Peltola is out due to suspension.

Malta

The islanders are no longer in contention for the top spots in Group G. The team has only two points, which they earned in matches against Lithuania. In the other five matches of the current qualification cycle, Malta lost, all without scoring. Notably, in two matches against the Netherlands, the team lost by a combined score of 0-12.

• Malta's winless streak in World Cup qualification stands at 12 games – 3 draws and 9 losses.
• The team has failed to score in 6 of their last 7 matches in this tournament.
• Malta has lost 11 of their last 14 away matches in World Cup qualification (3 draws).

Predicted lineup for Malta (3-5-2)

Henry Bonello – Miles Beerman, Jean Borg, Enrico Pepe – Kurt Shaw, Joseph Mbong, Alex Satariano, Brandon Paiber, Matthew Guillaumier – Ilyas Shuaraf, Irvin Cardona.

Midfielder Jake Azzopardi and defender Ryan Camenzuli will miss the match due to suspension.

Referee

Julian Weinberger (Austria)

Matches – 10 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 48;

Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;

Red cards shown – 1;

Average fouls per match – 26;

Penalties – 40%.

Match Prediction: Finland vs. Malta

The Finns have a theoretical chance to take second place in the group. To do this, they need to defeat their opponents in the upcoming match by a significant margin. The likelihood of such an event is slim, but why not try to replicate the Netherlands' success, who beat Malta 8-0?

Besides, I believe the hosts will manage to keep a clean sheet. This is not due to Finland's excellent defensive play but rather Malta's weakness in attack. In the current qualification, Malta has only scored once. Additionally, Malta has failed to score in 11 of their last 14 away matches in World Cup qualification.

Therefore, my prediction is a "Clean sheet victory for Finland."