Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup qualifying match.
It’s highly likely that Poland and Finland will be battling it out for second place in their group. In the reverse fixture the Finns came out on top (2:1), yet Poland currently sit above them in the standings.
Poland
Poland hold the edge having avoided defeat against group favourites the Netherlands in Rotterdam (1:1). They also boast a better goal difference than Finland, having scored two more, and will enjoy home advantage this time. The last two head-to-heads on Polish soil ended in emphatic victories for the hosts (5:0 and 5:1), although those came in friendlies back in 2016 and 2020. Notably, the scorers then were Kamil Grosicki, Krzysztof Piątek and Arkadiusz Milik, and only the veteran Kamil Grosicki — now 37 — featured off the bench against the Netherlands. The big boost on Sunday will be Robert Lewandowski’s presence, absent from those earlier meetings.
Finland
Finland simply don’t have the firepower of their rivals. Their main striker, Joel Pohjanpalo, has spent recent years in Italy’s second-tier clubs. He scored against Poland in Helsinki, but only from the penalty spot, and offered little else in open play. Away from home, Finland have managed three goals, but those came against group outsiders Malta (1:0) and Lithuania (2:2). Against stronger opposition like Norway in a friendly, they drew a blank (0:1).
Poland vs Finland Prediction
With home support and superior attacking options, Poland should have too much for Finland. The hosts are well placed to deliver and, at the very least, avoid defeat.
