It is a top of the table clash in Group H of the European Championship qualifiers as Finland host Denmark on Sunday. Both teams have impressed so far in the qualifiers and with little to separate them at the moment, they look set to cancel each other out.
Finland have been near perfect in the European Championship qualifiers and are surprisingly setting the pace in Group H. Markku Kanerva’s men began with a 3-1 defeat to Denmark but have since gone on a four match winning run without conceding a single goal.
The Finns are coming off a 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan in their previous qualifying fixture. They were given a stern test by the Kazakh’s and were frustrated for much of the encounter with Oliver Antman’s second half effort proving the difference.
Beyond their impressive defensive displays, the goals have flowed freely for Finland at the other end of the pitch, especially at home. They claimed a 6-0 victory over San Marino in their previous qualifying fixture at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium with Daniel Hakans netting a brace.
Denmark have been keeping close tabs on Finland as they sit second on the standings, two points off the pace. Their qualifying campaign has been a bit more erratic than their hosts’ having claimed three wins and a draw from their five matches.
One similarity between both teams is that the goals have also flowed freely for Denmark in these qualifiers. They flexed their attacking muscles last time out, claiming a.4-0 victory over San Marino on Thursday with Yussuf Poulsen and Jonas Wind among the goals.
A major problem for Denmark is that they often find things difficult on their travels and are yet to secure an away win in the qualifiers. Kasper Hjulmand’s men were beaten 3-2 by Kazakhstan in their first away fixture before holding out for a 1-1 draw in Slovenia.
How the bookies view it
Despite their poor record on the road, Denmark are still considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies at 8/11 with 10bet. A victory for Finland is valued at 9/2 by BoyleSports while Paddy Power is offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Denmark have only lost once to Finland, claiming seven wins and two draws from 10 previous meetings. The Danes have already beaten Finland in these qualifiers, claiming a 3-1 victory in their opening fixture in Group H.
Players to watch
Oliver Antman has been the standout player for Finland in these qualifiers, scoring three goals in five matches so far. The forward was also on target in the first meeting with Denmark and with Teemu Pukki also providing support, the Finns could be tipped to produce over 0.5 goals at 8/13 with BetVictor.
Denmark have also shown their attacking quality in the qualifiers with the likes of Jonas Wind, Rasmus Hojlund and Yussuf Poulsen all impressing. All three men are in line to feature on Sunday and can ensure the Danes produce over 0.5 goals at 1/5 with William Hill.
Anything else catch the eye?
Finland and Denmark have shown their attacking quality in the qualifiers and could be set to produce goals on Sunday. There were over 3.5 goals in the reverse fixture and a repeat is priced at 14/5 with Paddy Power while over 2.5 goals is valued at 21/20 by William Hill who is also offering evens on both teams to score.
There were more goals after the break in the reverse fixture and Sunday’s clash could be set to follow a similar pattern at 23/20 with William Hill.
This Euro 2024 match between Finland and Denmark will be played on Sep 10, 2023 and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Finland vs Denmark prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
