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Northern Ireland’s dismal Euro 2024 qualifying campaign rounds off with a double header against Scandinavian opponents. First up, they face Finland in Helsinki on Friday evening.
Most leading betting apps have the hosts as fairly strong favourites for the win. So can the Irish spring a surprise and finish their campaign on a high, or will it be yet another away defeat? Our sports betting experts are here with their prediction for the game.
The complicated qualifying process for next year’s Euros means that this is essentially a free hit for Finland. They cannot realistically finish in the top three of the group, but they have secured a place in the playoffs thanks to their Nations League performances.
So far, Finals have a symmetrical record of four wins and four defeats from their eight group games. That record includes a narrow 0-1 win over Ireland at the start of the campaign. They also managed an impressive win over group leaders Slovenia, but two defeats to Denmark and a home defeat to Kazakhstan have ruined their chances of a top two finish.
Ireland manager Michael O’Neill will be desperate for this dismal qualification campaign to end. Six defeats in eight games have left the Irish mired in fifth place with no hope of qualification. Their only victories have been against whipping boys San Marino and they have managed just one goal in their other six games.
There’s a big dearth of talent in the Irish game at present and it is hard to see how O’Neill can turn things around before qualifying for World Cup 2026 begins next year.
The two teams have met on ten previous occasions, and have four wins each from those fixtures. Before Finland’s 0-1 success earlier in the qualifying campaign, Ireland had been on a four game undefeated run against their opponents.
Read our key stats for this game before you assess the latest betting odds. These stats are full of vital insights aimed at giving the very best chance of finding a winning bet.
Finland are currently priced as even money favourites to secure a home win. The best price for a Northern Ireland win is 10/3, whilst the draw can be backed at 12/5.
Despite the fact this is effectively a dead rubber, we think Finland will want to put on a strong display in front of their home fans. With that in mind, our betting bonus tip for the game is a Finland victory.
Ireland’s form and performances have been dismal in recent times. They’ve only beaten San Marino and Kosovo in competitive fixtures in the last two years, plus they have failed to score in five of their last seven games. It is hard to see them leaving Helsinki with anything other than another defeat.
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