Finland vs England Predictions

• Their 2-1 loss at home to Ireland on Thursday was Finland’s fourth competitive defeat in a row
• England won their last Nations League away game against Ireland 2-0
• England have only once scored more than two goals in a game in their last 16 internationals

Greece defeat puts a spanner in the works

One month after England beat Finland 2-0 at Wembley, the Three Lions will head to Helsinki in search of a similar result to boost their Nations League B promotion hopes.

Thursday’s 2-1 home defeat to Greece has put a spanner in the works of England’s bid to bounce back to the elite level and the Football Association’s plan to pass off Lee Carsley as a realistic long-term managerial option.

The former Under-21s boss made a bold call to fit almost all of the creative talent at his disposal into the same team and saw them beaten by the Greeks for the first time in their history.  Carsley will make changes for this trip to the Olympic Stadium, but finding the right framework for the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden still eludes him.

Kanerva being castigated for Finnish failures

While Carsley took the blame for England’s failure to convert big chances at Wembley, his Finnish counterpart Markku Kanerva was also being castigated for Huuhkajat’s limp display against the Republic of Ireland.

Their 2-1 home defeat was a fourth in a row in competitive matches and all the indications are that Finland will fall to a fifth when England arrive on Sunday.

Kanerva’s probable replacement is already sitting alongside him on the bench in an assistant’s role and almost everyone connected to the team know it. The coach’s authority could be irrecoverably undermined if they flop against the Three Lions. Another 2-0 England win looks the most likely outcome given the disparity in talent and confidence right now.