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[monks data]
Finland national football team
European Championship | Group Stage
Jun 21, 2021 at 8pm UK
Saint-Petersburg Stadium
Belgium national football team

Finland
0 - 2
Belgium

FT(HT: 0-0)
Hradecky (74' og.), Lukaku (81')

How Finland could line up against Belgium

How Finland could line up against Belgium
© Reuters
Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Finland could line up for Monday's Group B clash with Belgium.

Having given a good account of themselves on their debut in the European Championship so far, rank outsiders Finland meet a formidable Belgium side in their second successive match in St Petersburg on Monday.

Level with Group B rivals Russia on three points going into the final round, Markku Kanerva's men will go through with a win, or possibly even a draw, so getting his selection right will be paramount for the former schoolteacher.

Needing to find a way of taking a point off a much-rotated Belgium side, Finland are therefore set to rely on their defensive solidity which has seen them concede just once thus far.

Kanerva has seen full-backs Nikolai Alho (ankle) and Jukka Raitala (calf) overcome injury problems in the past week, with the latter expected to keep his place on the right of what will effectively be a back five when the Eagle-owls are out of possession.

Once again, Rangers midfield dynamo Glen Kamara is joined by veteran captain Tim Sparv in a resolute Finnish engine room, which will be significantly challenged by the returning talents of Axel Witsel and Kevin De Bruyne.

Up front, meanwhile, there has been speculation that Joel Pohjanpalo - whose match-winning header against Denmark made him the first Finnish footballer to score at a major tournament - may be sacrificed from the lineup, with MLS-based Robin Lod instead given the task of supporting star striker Teemu Pukki from a deeper role.

Pukki, who scored 10 of his nation's 16 goals in qualifying, has yet to get off the mark, as it was Pohjanpalo's 10th international goal (and third in as many games) that broke the deadlock on a dramatic night in Copenhagen last week. In fact, the Union Berlin forward is the only Finn to register an international goal since March, so it would be a brave move should Kanerva consider it necessary for the greater cause.

Finland possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; O'Shaughnessy, Arajuuri, Toivio; Uronen, Kamara, Sparv, Kauko, Raitala; Pohjanpalo, Pukki

> Click here to see how Belgium could line up for Monday's Group B game

ID:452022:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect3454:No Data Analysis info
Game History

How you voted: Finland vs Belgium

Finland
11.9%
Draw
7.9%
Belgium
80.2%
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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