Wales Vs Finland
Wales Vs Finland Wednesday 18th November 2020 – 19:45 Kick-Off
UEFA Nations League Group B4
Pick: Draw
Odds: 11/4
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 16th November 2020)
Preview: Perhaps not quite a winner takes all fixture, as a draw will suffice for Wales, but a decisive meeting all the same in Cardiff, at Cardiff City Stadium, as Finland target the win they need to usurp the Welsh in the battle for promotion from Group B4.
UEFA Nations League Betting at Bet365
Table of Contents
Wales Preview – Another solid defensive display to see them home?
An eighth clean sheet in nine games helped Wales grind out an important 1-0 victory over Ireland on Sunday. The win, their fourth in five outings of this Nations League campaign, ensured their slender advantage atop Group B4 remains in tact ahead of Wednesday’s crunch encounter with second place Finland, but also means they are the only side in League A or B yet to concede a goal.
Wales have now failed to win only once in this group – a 0-0 draw in Ireland – recording marginal victories against Bulgaria (twice), Finland and Ireland with all four coming via their now trademark 1-0 scoreline. They last lost a competitive match away to Hungary in June 2019. That an unbeaten run of ten comprising seven wins (W7 D3) and only three goals conceded, having denied their last seven opponents from scoring.
Promotion can be secured with at least a point at home to Finland, against whom they won 1-0 in Helsinki in the opening fixture. The omens for a successful conclusion are certainly encouraging: Wales are not merely unbeaten across their five Group B4 fixtures so far but are currently nine home games unbeaten too, earning six of their seven victories accrued across this period whilst keeping a clean sheet.
Finland Preview – Hat-trick of away triumphs inside a week?
In the past week Finland have picked up back-to-back away victories that will have given them a tremendous amount of belief that they can go to Cardiff and secure the three points needed to top the group. Sunday’s 2-1 scoreline in Sofia, overcoming winless Bulgaria on the road thanks to strikes from Teemu Pukki and Robin Lod, means they can sneak first place on the finish line with victory over unbeaten Wales.
If the result against Bulgaria was vitally important in their quest for promotion to League A, last week’s sensational performance and 2-0 scoreline in Paris against world champions France would have done wonders for morale. That it came in a friendly does not diminish from what was a memorable night for Markku Kanerva and his players, who wouldn’t even begin the encounter at full-strength.
Since losing the reverse of this fixture 1-0 at home in September, the Finns have won all four subsequent contests with Ireland (both 1-0) and Bulgaria (2-0 & 1-2), conceding only in Sunday’s victory in Sofia. A draw in Wales will do them no favours meanwhile, and a run of 15 away internationals without such an outcome, winning eight, suggests we will have a decisive outcome on the night one way or another.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
Wales Vs Finland Betting Advice
Just two goals conceded between them in ten group games highlight how formidable both defences have been until now. It was Wales (W4 D1), though, who prevailed in Helsinki when these teams met on Matchday 1, securing the first of four 1-0 victories at the expense of a Finland (W4 L1), who have won all four subsequent fixtures. Essentially, then, the visitors have to win to snatch top spot on the finish line.
Wales Vs Finland – Key Facts:
- When combining their respective results in Group B4 so far, there have been two or fewer goals scored in nine of ten fixtures, with Under 1.5 Goals returning on seven occasions.
- Wales sit atop the group on 13 points (W4 D1), a point clear of Finland (W4 L1) whose solitary loss came in the reverse fixture, losing 1-0 on Matchday 1.
- Five of the past six meetings between the two countries have produced Under 2.5 Goals, with the last three staged in Wales delivering exactly two.
We simply have to consider the merits of a draw here. Firstly, Wales need only avoid defeat to cement first place in the group meaning a draw suits them nicely. Moreover, the fact neither are giving away many goals – or in the case of Wales, none whatsoever – increases our chances of a low scoring encounter. The slenderest of margins separated them first time around and something similar could be on the cards in Cardiff.
Best Betting Odds – Wales Vs Finland
Wales – 9/10 (Unibet)
Draw – 11/4 (Betfair)
Finland – 7/2 (BetVictor)
