Finland vs Bulgaria Prediction & Betting Tips - UEFA Nations League

Prediction published on 09/10/2020, 02:44  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 09/10/2020 at 02:52 in UEFA Nations League Predictions

Bulgaria’s ambitions for Euro 2021 came crashing after their home defeat to Hungary on Thursday and they’ll be shifting focus to the Nations League, where they travel to Finland on Match Day 3. Hosts Finland registered their first win in Group 4 of League B when they beat Ireland 1-0 away and rose to second place, two points ahead of Bulgaria who have a point from their opening draw with Ireland. However, Finland head to this game straight from a 5-1 loss away to Poland in a midweek friendly match and will be hoping to do better, having managed just three clean sheets in the last eight matches. Save for the clean sheet against Ireland, the other two have come against very weak opposition – Liechtenstein and Armenia – whom they beat 3-0 each. Before their win over Ireland, Finland had three straight losses in the Nations League and with no goal scored. However, they have a good run at home in the nations League; they won all three at home in the inaugural competition, all with clean sheets before losing 1-0 to Wales in their first home game of the current competition. Ahead of this match, they have played six games in the Nations League, and they have conceded more than a goal just once. Generally, Finland have lost just three of their last 16 home matches – to Estonia, Italy and Wales – and in only three of the 16 matches have they conceded more than a goal, while keeping 12 clean sheets. They have faced Bulgaria seven times in their history, and have lost each of those.

The last time these two nations faced off was in 2008, in a friendly match that Bulgaria won 2-1 to make it seven straight wins over Finland. Over the last 12 years a lot has changed and while Bulgaria will want to extend their dominance, they will find a much stronger Finland side. Bulgaria are winless in their last four matches, three of them losses and they hit another low in losing to Hungary in the Euro Championships playoff semi final on Thursday. In their last 16 matches, Bulgaria have one win and 10 losses. They have failed to score in six of their last 10 matches and when they have scored, it has not been more than a goal. The team’s last away win came in September 2018, 2-1 over Slovenia in the Nations League. It is their only away win in the last 16 matches. They head to this game winless in five straight Nations League matches and have also not won any of their last three Nations League matches away from home.