Finland vs Republic of Ireland

The out-of-sorts Republic of Ireland head to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium to take on Finland, seeking their first-ever away win in the UEFA Nations League (D3, L5).

Long-serving Finland boss Markku Kanerva stares down the barrel of his joint-worst losing streak during his eight-year tenure, facing a third consecutive defeat after a disastrous Group B2 start. His team lost to England and Greece by 2+ goals ‘to nil’ last month, intensifying the pressure on him after a failed attempt to qualify for Euro 2024. Desperate to steady the ship, Kanerva could turn to his 100% personal H2H record versus Ireland for inspiration, having beaten this opposition 1-0 in both previous duels. Further confidence comes from Finland’s intimidating Nations League record on this soil as they’ve only suffered one defeat in nine home outings since the tournament’s inception (W6, D2, L1). Quick out of the blocks, the Finns have been in front of halftime in five of their last six home internationals.

Heimir Hallgrímsson has probably imagined the start of his reign in Ireland’s dugout quite differently. His team succumbed to a brace of identical 2-0 defeats to Greece and England at the beginning of their Group B2 journey, deepening the crisis that’s been tormenting the Boys in Green long before his arrival. Hitting the road to face Finland could be a blessing in disguise, knowing both Ireland’s losses in this Nations League cycle came at home. Another disappointing result would increase the likelihood of Ireland’s first-ever relegation to League C, and Hallgrímsson’s dire record in his first away game in charge across his four previous jobs (D2, L2) only fuels the skepticism.