HALF-TIME UPDATE: ENGLAND 0-0 FINLAND
© Imago
It is all square at the interval and England have been left frustrated by the low block of Finland in the first half of Friday's UEFA Nations League encounter at Wembley Stadium.
Three Lions interim head coach Lee Carsley opted to make four changes to the side that beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Dublin last weekend, with Lille midfielder Angel Gomes handed his full debut, while defensive trio John Stones, Ezri Konsa and Rico Lewis were also brought into the first XI.
Captaining the hosts on his 100th international appearance for England, Harry Kane was presented with the first real opportunity in front of goal in the 21st minute, but his powerful first-time strike was saved by Lukas Hradecky.
Finland immediately went up the other end and came close to opening the scoring, but Aberdeen's Topi Keskinen could only watch his strike curl a few inches wide of the far post.
Kane got on the end of Bukayo Saka's curling cross to direct a diving header in at the back post from around seven yards out, but the Bayern Munich striker was just a couple of inches offside, before Trent Alexander-Arnold fizzed a decent long-range strike just a yard wide in the closing stages.
England have dominated proceedings in possession, with the majority of play taking place inside Finland's half, but the visitors have looked reasonably solid at the back and will hope for much of the same in the second period. Whether they can withstand England's pressure for another 45 remains to be seen, though.
HALF-TIME PREDICTION: ENGLAND 1-0 FINLAND
After enjoying a perfect start to life in the England chair, Lee Carsley's Wembley inauguration takes place on Tuesday evening, when the Three Lions host Finland in their second UEFA Nations League encounter of the month.
Tuesday's hosts kicked off the post-Gareth Southgate era with a 2-0 beating of the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, while their Scandinavian foes were crushed 3-0 by Greece to fall to the bottom of the pile.
Match preview
© Imago
The Boys in Green were green with envy on Saturday evening, where newly-appointed England caretaker boss Carsley - a former Ireland international himself - witnessed two former Dublin flames haunt Heimir Hallgrimsson's men at the Aviva Stadium.
While Declan Rice - who even took part in a handful of senior internationals for Ireland before switching allegiance - held his hands up in apology after curling home an 11th-minute opener, Jack Grealish did not hold back, fist-pumping his way to the England crowd after adding a second against his erstwhile nation.
Rice and Grealish's well-taken goals would ostensibly precede an England onslaught, a contrast from the Southgate days where the Three Lions would often sit back after making the net bulge once, but Carsley's men declared at two after failing to keep up their intensity in the second half.
Nevertheless, Carsley has added some credit in the bank with the FA as the governing body scope out permanent successors to Southgate, and his England side occupy second place in League B Group 2 at present, only behind Greece on goal difference.
That standing would be enough to earn England a spot in the promotion playoffs, but in order to return to the promised land of League A, the Three Lions must now end a barren Wembley run; they have not won a Nations League game at home since November 2020, failing to score in two of their three fixtures since then.
© Imago
A few hours after England's battle with Ireland concluded, Finland sought to spring a surprise on Greek soil under long-serving head coach Markku Kanerva, but the Scandinavian side were condemned to a humiliating start to their latest Nations League adventure.
While Panathinaikos marksman Fotis Ioannidis made his mark at the correct end of the field with a brace, Finland striker Benjamin Kallman put the ball past his own goalkeeper to contribute to a 3-0 defeat for his side, who are now on a three-match winless sequence.
When Bayer Leverkusen invincible Lukas Hradecky made a horror mistake to gift Greece their first goal - allowing a backpass to roll under his feet for Ioannidis to score - it was clear that lady luck was not on Finland's side, and Kanerva's men are already propping up the four-team standings.
The 2024-25 Nations League campaign represents the visitors' third straight year in League B, having topped their League C standings in the inaugural edition, but the Huuhkajat are already fighting a steep battle to retain their second-tier status.
Furthermore, each of the visitors' last four away games has seen them ship at least two goals, and they have never beaten England in 11 previous meetings - losing nine of them - although they have not crossed paths since a 2001 World Cup qualifier.
Team News
© Imago
None of Carsley's England troops reported any injuries in the wake of Saturday's win over Ireland, where captain Harry Kane made his 99th appearance for his nation, and the Bayern Munich man is now poised to become just the 10th man to reach the 100 mark.
Kane ought to form part of an unchanged attacking quartet with Grealish, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka, and it would not be a complete shock to see Carsley stick with an unchanged XI from the Dublin success.
Eberechi Eze, Conor Gallagher and John Stones head the queue for promotion from the bench, while Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke are vying for their debuts after Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes earned their senior baptisms off the bench at the weekend.
In contrast, Finland were dealt a pair of blows both before and during their hammering at the hands of Greece, as Sparta Prague midfielder Kaan Kairinen picked up a pre-match injury before Rasmus Schuller was forced off just before the half-time whistle.
It remains to be seen whether Schuller's leg problem will be serious enough to rule him out of Tuesday's game, but Kanerva admitted after the match that the prognosis does not look good, while Kairinen has reportedly already been ruled out.
Urho Nissila - who plays his club football in Hungary - replaced Schuller in the weekend's defeat and should now step in from the first whistle, while both Joel Pohjanpalo and Teemu Pukki are alternative striking options to own-goal victim Kallman.
England possible starting lineup:
Pickfrord; Alexander-Arnold, Guehi, Maguire, Colwill; Mainoo, Rice, Grealish; Saka, Kane, Gordon
Finland possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Uronen; Peltola, Nissila; Lod, Kamara, Antman; Pohjanpalo
We say: England 3-0 Finland
Had Hradecky not made his horror mistake on Saturday evening, Finland may not have experienced such a chastening beatdown at the hands of the Greeks, but Kanerva's men could be condemned to an identical hammering here.
England could and probably should have scored more in Dublin, but we have faith in the Three Lions to be that little bit more ruthless at Wembley as Carsley makes it two for two.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
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