France will play their last World Cup qualifier match when they face Finland at the Olympiastadion in Helsinki this Tuesday.
Venue: Olympiastadion (Helsinki)
Key Statistics
Finland have won their last two WCQ games by an aggregate scoreline of 5-1.
They have scored ten goals in this WCQ campaign and have conceded eight times.
Finland have scored in each of their last six home World Cup qualification games.
Teemu Pukki have been involved in 70% of Finland’s goals in this WCQ campaign.
France have lost just two of their previous 18 WCQ away games (W10, D6), keeping ten clean sheets in that period.
They have scored 16 goals in this WCQ campaign and have conceded just three goals.
Head to head
France hold a clear advantage in this fixture. They have won nine games and lost one of the ten head-to-head encounters between the two sides.
Latest Performances in all competitions
Finland: W-W-L-L-W
France: W-W-W-W-D
Finland
Finland made their nation proud last summer when they made their first appearance in an international tournament in Euro 2020.
Now they will be looking to make it two international tournaments in a row when they welcome World Cup defending champions France to the Finnish capital.
They head into this tie fresh from a 3-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The win ensured that they will host France, sitting in second place on the table. It also gives them a chance of finishing second and achieving a playoff spot.
Markku Kanerva’s side need a win to guarantee them a place in the playoffs because they’re just two points ahead of Ukraine who will be playing Bosnia on the same day.
Possible Finland starting line-ups
Lukas Hradecky, Jere Uronen, Leo Vaisanen, Paulus Arajuuri, Daniel O’Shaughnessy, Niko Hamalainen, Robert Taylor, Rasmus Schuller, Glen Kamara, Marcus Forss, Teemu Pukki.
France
World Cup defending champions France booked their place in the showpiece in Qatar when they beat Kazakhstan 8-0 in their last game.
The game was their fourth consecutive win and was also their fourth win in this World Cup qualifying campaign.
Didier Deschamps’ side are unbeaten in this World Cup campaign and will fancy their chances of extending that unbeaten run further when they travel to Helsinki.
However, they will be without the Manchester United duo of Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane and Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Presnel Kimpembe due to injury issues.
Possible France starting line-ups
Hugo Lloris, Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Kurt Zouma, Benjamin Pavard, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jordan Veretout, Theo Hernandez, Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe.
Prediction
Finland 1-1 France.
