Finland vs Belarus - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to proceed their beardown commencement to the UEFA Nations League C campaign, Finland volition invited Group One rivals Belarus to Helsinki Olympic Stadium connected Tuesday.

The Eagle-owls could unafraid back-to-back wins for the archetypal clip this year, though the White Wings are keen to get backmost connected track.

Match preview

Jacob Friis's Finland arrived astatine the September planetary interruption successful dire form, but triumph connected matchday 1 has fixed fans crushed for optimism.

The Eagle-owls suffered 3 defeats connected the bounce crossed the outpouring and summer, losing connected penalties to Cape Verde successful March, earlier being hammered 4-0 by Germany successful precocious May and beaten 2-1 by Hungary successful June.

Those results, coupled with being forced to ticker World Cup 2026 from the sidelines, did small for Friis's side's morale up of the 2026-27 Nations League.

However, Finland pulled disconnected a 7-0 demolition of San Marino connected Saturday, and portion the triumph was not unexpected, the relentless attacking show volition person bolstered the team's confidence.

Playing their archetypal location clash of the existent Nations League iteration connected Tuesday, the hosts volition beryllium expecting to present different beardown showing, considering the Eagle-owls' grounds of 3 wins from their past 4 matches connected their ain turf.

Meanwhile, Belarus person enjoyed a beardown 2026 under Viktor Goncharenko's, who was appointed successful January, but they stumbled past clip out.

The White Wings won 3 and drew 1 of their 4 outings anterior to the Nations League opener, a spell that extended their unbeaten tally to a commendable six matches.

Unfortunately for Goncharenko's side, that impervious agelong came to an extremity connected Saturday, erstwhile they were incapable to respond to first-half goals from Kristjan Asllani and Ernest Muci during a 2-0 beating by Albania.

Belarus volition beryllium hopeless to beryllium that the decision was a one-off, but it is notable that they person lone travel retired connected apical against nations ranked supra 80th by FIFA this year, drafting 2-2 with 62nd-ranked Burkina Faso successful June, earlier their nonaccomplishment to the 67th-ranked Red and Blacks.

That being said, the much affirmative amongst the White Wings' faithful would item that Tuesday's visitors person lone tasted decision erstwhile connected the roadworthy since October 2025, a near-12 period play that features wins implicit Cyprus and Armenia, arsenic good arsenic a 2-2 stalemate successful Denmark.

Finland Nations League form:

Belarus Nations League form:

Team News

Finland person been incapable to telephone upon midfielders Naatan Skytta and Niklas Pyyhtia, the second of whom is recovering from a manus injury, though Leo Walta, Adam Markhiev and Kaan Kairinen should beryllium acceptable to commencement connected Tuesday.

Further forward, striker Joel Pohjanpalo volition support his spot successful the XI aft bagging a hat-trick against San Marino, and helium is expected to beryllium supported by Adrian Svanback and Benjamin Kallman successful attack.

As for Belarus, centre-backs Zakhar Volkov and Ivan Tsikhamirau volition beryllium protecting Fedor Lapoukhove betwixt the posts, hopeless to debar different defeat.

Max Ebong and Aleksandr Selyava look acceptable to signifier the visitors' treble pivot, portion Valeriy Gromyko operates successful the fig 10 role.

On the flanks, Artem Kontsevoy and Yevgeniy Malashevich should beryllium connected manus to supply width, supplying centre-forward German Barkovskiy.

Finland imaginable starting lineup:

Sinisalo; Keskinen, Koski, S Miettinen, Lahteenmaki; Kairinen, Markhiev, Walta; Svanback, Pohjanpalo, Kallman

Belarus imaginable starting lineup:

Lapoukhov; Kalinin, Volkov, Tsikhamirau, Pechenin; Selyava, Ebong; Kontsevoy, Gromyko, Malashevic; Barkovskiy

We say: Finland 2-1 Belarus

Finland whitethorn person been successful mediocre signifier anterior to the Nations League's opening matchday, but their attacking show against San Marino volition springiness the squad a boost successful confidence.

Belarus person been beardown connected insubstantial this year, but the world is they person faced little than stellar opposition, and it would not beryllium astonishing to spot the visitors suffer successful a constrictive manner connected Tuesday.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.