Finland welcome Nordic neighbours Denmark to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Sunday as both nations bid to enhance their Euro 2024 qualification prospects.

The hosts maintained their two-point lead atop Group H with a 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan on Thursday, while the visitors thrashed San Marino 4-0 last time out.

Match preview

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A 78th-minute winner from Oliver Antman saw Finland claim all three points in Kazakhstan on Thursday, as the 22-year-old midfielder completed an eye-catching team move to keep the Eagle-Owls at the summit of Group H after five matches.

Markku Kanerva's side have now won each of their last four Euro 2024 qualifiers without conceding a single goal, with low-scoring victories over Northern Ireland and Slovenia preceding a 6-0 thrashing of San Marino in June.

In fact, Finland's only defeat of the campaign came against Denmark in the opening round of fixtures, with Manchester United new boy Rasmus Hojlund netting a hat-trick at Parken Stadium in the reverse fixture back in March.

Since then, however, the Eagle-Owls have racked up four wins, 10 goals and four clean sheets, meaning that Kanerva's side lead Denmark and Slovenia by two points in Group H, with Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland and San Marino trailing behind.

The Finns qualified for their first-ever European Championship last time around, although they failed to make it out of their group in the previous tournament, despite claiming a shock victory over Denmark in Copenhagen.

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As most national teams do, Denmark made light work of San Marino on Thursday, registering 86% possession and 32 shots while limiting the minnows to a solitary attempt, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joakim Maehle, Jonas Wind and Yussuf Poulsen grabbing the goal.

The hosts raced into a 3-0 lead inside 40 minutes before taking their foot off the gas after the break, but there was still enough time for Poulsen to come off the bench and complete a comprehensive 4-0 victory for his side.

Following the 3-1 win against Finland in the reverse fixture, Denmark suffered a shock 3-2 defeat in Kazakhstan, with three goals in the final 17 minutes cancelling out Hojlund's first-half brace at the Astana Arena.

After bouncing back with a 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland, Kasper Hjulmand's men were held to a 1-1 draw by Slovenia, although the Danes could - and probably should - have claimed all three points after chalking up 63% possession and 10 shots.

Still, the Red and Whites remain on course to qualify for Euro 2024 having taken 10 points from a possible 15 so far, and they will leapfrog Finland in Group H if they secure a second successive victory over the Eagle-Owls on Sunday.

Team News

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Markku Kanerva will be tempted to stick with the starting XI that instigated Thursday's triumph in Kazakhstan, meaning that Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky should continue behind Arttu Hoskonen, Robert Ivanov and Richard Jensen in a 3-4-3 formation.

Having scored the winner in midweek, Oliver Antman will retain his place in the forward line alongside Joel Pohjanpalo and Teemu Pukki, who has netted a record 38 goals in 113 appearances for his country.

On the flip side, Kasper Hjulmand is expected to make several changes to the team that saw off San Marino on Thursday, with the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Yussuf Poulsen, Martin Braithwaite and Andreas Christensen pushing for a start.

Seventy-two-cap Thomas Delaney and Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard also started on the bench last time out, with Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Mathias Jensen operating in the engine room in a 4-3-3 formation.

Veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is set to earn his 95th international cap on Sunday, while captain Simon Kjaer looks set to make his 128th appearance for the Red and Whites as he partners Crystal Palace's Joachim Andersen at centre-back.

Finland possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Hoskonen, Ivanov, Jensen; Alho, Kairinen, Schuller, Niskanen; Antman, Pohjenpalo, Pukki

Denmark possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Larsen, Kjaer, Andersen, Maehle; Jensen, Hojbjerg, Eriksen; Olsen, Hojlund, Poulsen

We say: Finland 1-1 Denmark

There is no hiding the fact that Denmark claimed a dominant 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture, but Finland have registered four consecutive clean-sheet wins since then.

For that reason, we expect the Eagle-Owls to frustrate the Reds and Whites this time around, with the Nordic neighbours likely to share the spoils in Helsinki.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Ben Morris

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