The second round of the UEFA Euro 2020 football championship begins. It opens with a Group B match where Finland will play against Russia. The Finns, who unexpectedly won their first game, are already thinking about advancing to the knockout stage. For Russia, losing points is almost equivalent to a disaster. Let’s figure out what to expect from this game.
Pre-match Breakdown
Both teams have played 1 match. Finland won theirs and shares the top spot with Belgium. Belgium handed Russia a defeat in the first round. Alongside Stanislav Cherchesov’s team is the beleaguered Denmark, which unexpectedly lost in the first round and nearly lost Christian Eriksen.
Belgium was the favorite in the group. Russia and Denmark were seen as the main contenders for second place. For the Danes, the situation is nearing catastrophe, as they lost to an underdog, while Russia’s team isn’t in such bad shape. They played against the weakest opponent and could theoretically still grab 6 points.
Finland
Finland’s playing style is somewhat similar to Russia’s. The team also prefers to play defensively, but they lack a strong forward to launch attacks. Yes, they have a striker playing in England, but he’s not as tenacious. It’s tough for them.
Despite this, Finland handled their first match against Denmark quite confidently. Yes, after the cardiac arrest incident and the long pause, you could say the Danes weren’t in the mood to fight. But even before that, they didn’t create many chances.
Despite their disciplined defense, bookmakers don’t believe in Finland’s success. Their win is priced at odds of 6.00.
Digging deeper, you’ll see that Finland doesn’t often keep a clean sheet. Before their success in the first round of Euro 2020, they hadn’t done so in 7 matches.
Russia
Even the most loyal fans of the Russian national team are disappointed with their playing style. It’s often called «anti-football,» «hit and run,» and other vivid terms. Yes, the team prefers to play defensively, building attacks around long balls to Dzyuba. Then it’s up to luck.
This style, with a lot of luck, worked at the home World Cup, but it’s been proving ineffective for months. This is largely due to issues at the center-back position. As the saying goes, trying to defend without a center-back is like playing tennis without a racket.
Despite this, Russia is seen as the favorite with odds of 1.67 for a win.
Yes, Cherchesov has been criticized by everyone, but in the next match, he could extend his tenure as head coach. This is because Finland will likely sit back and allow Russia to play. With a solid roster of players, we can expect the team to perform better. Finally, Mario Fernandes might start joining the attacks. There will be someone to pass to Golovin. Maybe Alexey Miranchuk will have a standout game when the team is pushing forward instead of just clearing the ball.
Head-to-Head Matches
In the 21st century, the teams have met only twice, both in the first decade. In 2008, during World Cup qualifiers, Russia won 3-0. Andrey Arshavin scored, along with two own goals. The return match ended with the same score, with Zyryanov and Kerzhakov (twice) scoring.
Match Prediction
Honestly, I praised Finland’s defense, but in reality, the Danes didn’t pressure much. The motivated Russians might break through once or twice. I hope this time they won’t rely on Ozdoev, who seems to have an unclear role.
Overall, Russia’s squad has the talent to score against Finland. Let’s go with Russia.
Prediction: Russia’s individual total over 1.5 at odds of 1.95.
