Northern Ireland v Finland predictions: Well-matched rivals set for an entertaining clash

Where to watch Northern Ireland v Finland

Viaplay Sports 1, 7.45pm Sunday

Best bet

Both teams to score
1pt 11-10 bet365

Northern Ireland v Finland odds

Northern Ireland 8-5
Finland 2-1
Draw 11-5

Odds correct at time of publishing

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Northern Ireland v Finland team news

Northern Ireland
Michael O'Neill is unlikely to make wholesale changes after the win against San Marino but Josh Magennis could replace Conor Washington up front. Jonny Evans, Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans and Liam Boyce are among the senior players missing through injury.

Finland
The Finns could name the same 11 who started Thursday's defeat in Denmark although Middlesbrough forward Marcus Forss and midfielder Rasmus Schuller are pushing for recalls.

Northern Ireland v Finland predictions

Michael O'Neill's second spell in charge of Northern Ireland started with a 2-0 victory away to San Marino on Thursday although tougher tests lie ahead in Euro 2024 qualifying.

While San Marino are bottom of the Fifa rankings, Sunday's visitors Finland won six of their ten qualifiers en route to the Euro 2020 finals and competed well in this week's 3-1 defeat in Denmark.

The Danes, who reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, needed a hat-trick from 20-year-old striker Rasmus Hojlund to see off Finland and the Atalanta tyro's last two goals came in the 82nd and 93rd minutes.

Another youngster, Groningen's Oliver Antman, had earlier equalised for Finland and the odds-against about both teams scoring at Windsor Park is worth taking.

Finland carry a significant goal threat through Norwich's Teemu Pukki and strike partner Joel Pohjanpalo, who scored the winner in the Euro 2020 group-stage victory over Denmark which was overshadowed by Christian Eriksen's on-field collapse.

The Finns won their last two away 2022 World Cup qualifiers, beating Kazakhstan 2-0 and Bosnia 3-1, and should regard the trip to Northern Ireland as an opportunity for more success on the road.

San Marino's Nicola Nanni had a second-half goal against Northern Ireland disallowed due to a tight offside call and a clean sheet may prove beyond the hosts, whose last two home results were a 2-2 draw with Cyprus and a 2-1 win over Kosovo in the Nations League. 

They also lost 3-2 away to Kosovo last June and 3-1 in Greece in September so Sunday's match could be more entertaining than the goals markets suggest.

Key stat

Both teams have scored in four of Northern Ireland's last five matches

Probable teams

Northern Ireland (3-5-2): Peacock-Farrell; Ballard, Cathcart, Brown; Bradley, McNair, S Charles, Saville, Lewis; Magennis, D Charles 

Finland (4-4-2): Hradecky; Alho, Vaisanen, Ivanov, Jensen; Lod, Kairinen, Kamara, Antman; Pohjanpalo, Pukki 

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