Ireland currently holds third place in Group 2 of League B in the Nations League, trailing the second position by six points.
With a three-point advantage over the bottom team, Ireland is focused on securing its spot and potentially avoiding a relegation play-off.
So far, they have only one win—a 2-1 result over Finland in October—but have also faced losses to England (0-2) and Greece (both 0-2 and 2-0).
In contrast, Finland has had a tough time in Group 2, sitting last with no points from their initial four matches.
They desperately need a win to keep any hope of moving up to third place and avoiding relegation to League C. Struggling to find their footing, Finland has lost to Greece (3-0), England (2-0 and 1-3), and Ireland (1-2).
For this game, Ireland will be missing key players, including defenders Doherty and Omobamidele, midfielders Brady and McGrath, and forwards Ogbene and Robinson.
Promising attackers Ferguson and Parrott are expected to lead up front, while Kelleher continues his strong presence in goal. Defenders O’Shea and Collins add experience to Ireland’s defense.
Finland will also be without defenders Galvez and Stahl, midfielder Valta, and forwards Jensen, Keskinen, and Haarala.
Pohjanpalo, who scored in the last meeting against Ireland, is expected to start up front, backed by midfielder Kamara, while veteran goalkeeper Hradecky is set to guard the net.
Prediction
Given Finland’s recent low-scoring away games in the Nations League and Ireland’s trend of seeing at least one side fail to score in their home matches, this match could follow a similar pattern.
Prediction: Ireland 0-1 Finland
