Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Nations League match.
It's unlikely the Euro finalists were thrilled about facing teams that didn't even make it to the tournament, but their "unexpected" relegation from the top tier of the Nations League last year has led to this. Now, they have to face Finland.
England
In their first official match without Gareth Southgate, England displayed an aggressive style, snuffing out most of Ireland’s attacks at their inception. Jordan Pickford only had to make a full-stretch save once. England's coach Lee Carsley set the team the task of scoring as quickly as possible, a mission they accomplished by the 11th minute. Declan Rice, charging in from deep, smashed the ball into the top corner. The player with Irish roots was named man of the match. Overall, England fired 16 shots, more than half of which were on target (9), creating a substantial xG of 2.67.
Finland
In their previous match, Greece scored more than they created (1.47 xG), but the victory could be considered deserved since they took more shots (9-6) and hit the target five times. Finland were at fault for the first goal, particularly the goalkeeper who hesitated during a pass exchange. They couldn't even hope for a draw. By halftime, the score was 2:0 in favour of Greece, and throughout the second half, Finland managed only two off-target shots. They passed more and had more possession, but it made no difference with just 0.59 xG for the game.
England - Finland Prediction
England play at home, which means there's a high likelihood they will win. Slip-ups can happen, like in the recent friendly against Iceland before the Euros, where England managed only one shot on target, and Iceland capitalised on one of their few chances. However, such an outcome is unlikely to repeat here. Surprisingly, England and Finland last met in 2001, when England narrowly won (2:1). Finland haven't achieved more than a draw (twice) in their nine encounters.
