Finland vs Denmark

Helsinki Olympic Stadium forms the backdrop for a top-table Euro 2024 qualifying Group H six-pointer between Finland and Denmark.

Finland’s quest to qualify for a second successive European Championship was off to a sluggish start as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at none other than Denmark in their opening qualifying Group H fixture. However, Markku Kanerva’s men have since hit the ground running, winning four qualifiers on the trot without conceding, including a narrow 1-0 triumph at Kazakhstan in their first September fixture. Though one of their two home victories in the ongoing qualifying cycle was a 6-0 romping of FIFA’s worst-ranked nation, San Marino, it’s worth noting they’ve opened the scoring within the first 15 minutes on both occasions. Too hot to handle on home turf, the ‘Eagle-owls’ are unbeaten in all five competitive home matches since the start of 2022 (W3, D2).

On the other hand, Denmark cruised to an overwhelming 4-0 home win over San Marino in midweek Euro 224 qualifying action, leapfrogging Slovenia to the coveted second place courtesy of a goal difference alone. Denmark’s hopes of securing a berth at a third consecutive European Championship are all but safe, especially given their growing problems with inconsistent performances. They have alternated between winning (3) and not (D1, L1) across their five qualifying Group H matches, suggesting they may need to work their socks off to take home much-needed points. Adding to this sentiment, Kasper Hjulmand’s men have gone winless on their last three competitive international travels (D1, L2) despite getting on the scoresheet on each occasion.