Denmark vs Finland

Finland make a short trip to Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium to meet more esteemed neighbors Denmark in the opening Euro 2024 qualifying Group H encounter.

The disappointment of an underwhelming group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has yet to subside as Denmark’s road to reaching back-to-back European Championship finals for the first time since 2004 begins. Despite being heavily fancied to go the distance in the Middle East, Denmark bowed out without winning a single game (D1, L2) in the wake of an eye-catching UEFA Nations League campaign last summer. Keen to start a new winning cycle, the ‘Danish Dynamite’ can rely on their outrageous H2H record against a Finland side they’ve lost to only twice in 26 meetings since 1966 (W16, D8). On top of that, Kasper Hjulmand’s men have won their last two competitive home outings by an identical 2-0 scoreline, taking down non-other than the 2022 World Cup runners-up France along the way.

In the meantime, Finland secured qualification for Euro 2020, setting an unprecedented feat in the nation’s history, and will be looking to recreate that success despite going winless in four consecutive internationals down the final stretch of 2022 (D2, L2). However, they blew hot and cold during last summer’s Nations League (W2, D2, L2) and had to settle for a runner-up finish in Group B3 behind Bosnia & Herzegovina. Playing on the road doesn’t suit Finland by any stretch of the imagination, as witnessed by a paltry return of just one win from six away matches since the start of 2022 (D2, L3). Speaking of their travel sickness, the ‘Eagle-owls’ have clocked just six wins in 21 away European Championship qualifying games since mid-2006 (D6, L9).