The final countdown to UEFA Euro 2024 has officially begun as we approach a string of highly anticipated international friendlies. Some of the nations that are playing this week are heading for the big tournament and others aren’t, but either way, it’s important for all of them to try and build some momentum. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the impending clash between Portugal and Finland.
Portugal Form GuidePortugal managed to shock a lot of people by becoming European champions back in 2016. Unfortunately, they haven’t quite been able to build on that - but things are looking good right now. This is arguably the best golden generation they’ve had since Cristiano Ronaldo first rose to prominence two decades ago, and now is the chance to seize their opportunity, especially given their goalscoring prowess.
One word to describe Portugal’s qualifying campaign? Impeccable. They won all ten of their qualifiers, scored 36 goals, and conceded just twice. They were easily one of the most impressive sides in qualifying and that’ll give them a great deal of confidence.
Finland Form GuideBack at Euro 2021, Finland finally made an appearance in the competition they’d never appeared in before. They got a win on the board, showcased some of their nation’s strengths on the pitch, and generally had a really nice flow to their game. Now, though, they need to try and prove it wasn’t a one-off, and they need to really make the most of their impact players.
Finland finished 3rd in their qualifying campaign behind Denmark and Slovenia, but thanks to the Nations League, they made it into the play-offs. Alas, they weren’t quite where they needed to be in the semis, falling to a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Wales in Cardiff.
Match PredictionIn a game like this, the whole point is to do everything in your power to make an impact - but at the same time, there are far more important matches that lie ahead. Therefore, while we do think there will be some big moments here and there, our official prediction is under 2.5 goals scored.
