San Marino vs Finland - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to recapture the magic of their past foray into the competition, San Marino volition welcome Nations League C rivals Finland to San Marino Stadium connected Saturday.

La Serenissima are hopeless to debar different decision this weekend, portion the Eagle-owls volition beryllium keen to extremity their ain disappointing losing streak.

Match preview

Roberto Cevoli's San Marino travel into this clash arsenic important underdogs, ranked 211th successful the satellite by FIFA and having prevented a nonaccomplishment conscionable erstwhile since 2024.

That tally of 15 matches without a triumph goes backmost to a 3-1 triumph implicit Liechtenstein successful November 2024, earned courtesy of goals from Lorenzo Lazzari, Nicola Nanni and Alessandro Golinucci.

However, that triumph was portion of a historical Nations League D run that saw San Marino gain promotion to League C by earning the archetypal 2 competitory wins successful their nationalist team's history.

Cevoli volition beryllium hard-pressed to repetition the instrumentality this clip around, considering the level of absorption successful the radical - Finland, Belarus and Albania - and the extremity volition beryllium to debar suffering tremendous losses.

That being said, determination volition beryllium nary relegation from League C successful the 2026-27 iteration, owed to UEFA's restructuring of the format, and San Marino could play with little fearfulness arsenic a result.

Meanwhile, Jacob Friis's Finland are the overwhelming favourites to triumph connected Saturday, but caput into the clash connected the backmost of their ain mediocre tally of form.

The Eagle-owls, who are ranked 75th by FIFA, person mislaid each of their past 3 outings, since beating New Zealand 2-0 successful precocious March.

In fairness to Friis's side, their astir caller brace of defeats were astatine the hands of Hungary (2-1) and Germany (4-0) in precocious May and aboriginal June, and that the results did not travel arsenic a surprise.

Finland are returning to the Nations League with an ambition of bouncing backmost aft their relegation fron League B successful 2024-25, and they volition spot a showdown against San Marino arsenic a aureate accidental to marque a beardown start.

Some fans of the visitors whitethorn beryllium cautious considering their dire distant grounds - which features six losses from their past 7 games connected the roadworthy - but the gulf successful prime should spot the Eagle-owls travel retired connected apical regardless.

San Marino friendlies form:

Finland friendlies form:

Team News

San Marino could commencement Nicolas Giacopetti up apical this weekend, supported by Samuele Zannoni and Samuel Pancotti.

Cevoli could opt for a trio of Alessandro Golinucci, Marcello Mularoni and Matteo Valli Casadei successful midfield, conscionable up of centre-backs Dante Rossi and Giacomo Valentini.

As for Finland, they are apt to beryllium led by a onslaught concern of Benjamin Kallman and Joel Pohjanpalo, with Queens Park Rangers' Glen Kamara supporting them from midfield.

A three-man backline of Juho Lahteenmaki, Ville Koski and Adam Stahl should beryllium connected manus to shield goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, portion Onni Valakari and Oliver Antman run arsenic wing-backs. 

San Marino imaginable starting lineup:

De Angelis; Fabbri, Rossi, Valentini, Riccardi; Golinucci, Mularoni, Casadei; Zannoni, Pancotti; Giacopetti

Finland imaginable starting lineup:

Hradecky; Lahteenmaki, Koski, Stahl; Valakari, Karinen, Markhiev, Antman; Kamara; Kallman, Pohjanpalo

We say: San Marino 0-3 Finland

San Marino enjoyed a historical run successful the 2024-25 variation of the Nations League, but it would travel arsenic a daze if they debar decision connected Saturday.

Finland are successful mediocre form, but they should person much than capable firepower to locomotion distant comfy winners.

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