Finland vs Belgium
Belgium are already through to the knockout phase of Euro 2020, and when they meet Finland at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on Monday, they are playing for a potentially favourable draw and a route to the final.
For the underdogs of Finland, it’s all about survival. After beating Denmark in their emotionally-charged opener, Markku Kanerva’s battlers lost in a tight tussle with Russia
So if they take a beating at the hands of the Red Devils and the other result in Group B goes against them, the Finns could be on their way home.
The world No. 1 against world No. 54 is the biggest mismatch in the tournament so far. And at odds of 1.31, Belgium should complete the group matches with three wins in the bank.
Here at SBOTOP, Finland are available at 9.50 and the draw is at 4.50, and that’s measure of the task they have to keep their incredible journey going.
Talking Points
Finland are still fighting
Kanerva became a national hero in Finland when he guided the team to Euro 2020 and that was the end game for many of their fans.
But the three points earned against Denmark made the nation believe its heroes could make it to the last 16. Defeat to Russia has put them on the back foot but Finland are still in the battle.
Conceding just two goals from their opening two games tells us that keeping it tight at the back is the best hope they have of picking up another point. But against a side which includes some of the most dangerous front players in world football, that is easier said than done.
So Finland must hope their defencive wall holds firm for as long as it can, while star striker Teemu Pukki tries to pierce the Belgium backline.
The Norwich City man has fired the Canaries up to the Premier League for the second time in three seasons and he has gathered some nice momentum in his international career. He scored 10 goals in his first 63 caps but added 20 in the following 27 in the run up to Euro 2020.
Alongside Pukki, Union Berlin’s 26-year-old forward Joel Pohjanpalo made a name for himself, scoring his 10th international goal in the victory over Denmark and he was very unlucky to be a whisker offside when he planted a header home against Russia.
De Bruyne is the difference for Belgium
Red Devils head coach Roberto Martinez has an embarrassment of riches in his squad dubbed as the Golden Generation, and this year he hopes they could finally break their silverware duck.
Romelu Lukaku has developed into one of the best strikers in word football. Since the last Euros, he has scored more international goals than Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe combined and he now has an incredible 62 from 95 internationals.
He’s a decent bet for the Golden Boot. But even with these stats, many would argue that Lukaku is not Belgium’s most important player.
The Red Devils have quality running right through the team. But from the moment Kevin De Bruyne came on to the pitch at halftime in the recent clash with Denmark, the game changed.
From 1-0 down and on the ropes, Belgium won the match as De Bruyne brilliantly teed up the opener for Thorgan Hazard and scored the winner with a sweet volley from 20 yards.
After England’s limp showing in a goalless draw against Scotland, the Three Lions have drifted out in the Euro 2020 betting odds to a price of 8.00 to win the trophy, which means Belgium are second favourites at 6.00 behind France at 4.70
History
This is Finland’s first-ever appearance at the European Championships while Belgium are ever presents in recent times and have been among the likely winners for a decade, but they haven’t yet converted their undoubted potential into trophies.
But the head-to-head match results may give you a surprise since the two teams have met five times and the Red Devils are yet to win, drawing three and losing twice, with the last meeting ended in a 1-1 draw in a 2016 friendly.
The last time Belgium met the Finns in competition in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, they drew 0-0 at home and lost 2-0 in Finland.
This is a different Belgium of course with De Bruyne, Lukaku, and co. ready to take on the world, but first they must overcome the Group B minnows.
Unbeaten in 11 games and on a three-match winning streak, Martinez will expect his players to deliver again.
Betting Tip
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Finland vs Belgium | Belgium Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 2.05 |
| June 22, 3:00(GMT+8) |
Should Finland avoid defeat it will rank alongside Scotland’s draw with England as one of the shock Euro 2020 results so far, but we can’t realistically expect lightning to strike twice over one weekend!
A scoreline of 2-0 is the most likely outcome at odds of 5.00, though 3-0 at 7.60 should be close to the mark as Belgium look to the knockout phase and Finland sweat on the result from the Russia vs. Denmark game.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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