Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
In the final round of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Denmark will face Finland on Wednesday, June 18. The match kicks off at 18:00 Central European Time. I'm backing a bet on goals in this game.
Match preview
Denmark is one of four teams that have already secured a playoff spot. In the opening round, the Scandinavians pulled off a dramatic comeback against Ukraine: trailing 1-2 in the 78th minute, the Danes struck twice in the 81st and 85th minutes to win 3-2. In the second round, they faced the Netherlands, once again coming from behind (0-1) to clinch a 2-1 victory. With 6 points, Denmark has booked its place in the quarterfinals.
Finland still has a chance, albeit a slim one. In their first match, the Finns led 2-0 against the Netherlands but couldn't hold on — it ended 2-2. In the second round, Finland lost to Ukraine without much of a fight — 0-2. The team currently has one point, as do the Netherlands, while Ukraine has three. To progress, Finland needs to beat Denmark by a wide margin and hope the Dutch win, so they can overtake Ukraine on goal difference. If Ukraine avoid defeat, Finland's hopes are over.
Facts and head-to-head
- Denmark are unbeaten in their last four matches.
- Finland have won just one of their last five games.
- Their most recent meeting ended with a 2-1 win for Denmark.
- Finland haven't beaten Denmark since 2008.
Probable line-ups
- Denmark U21: Jungdal — Jelert, Provstgaard, Hey, Goei — Bischoff, Fraulo, Nartey, Sorensen, Jensen — Osula.
- Finland U21: Bergström — Galvez, Jansson, Koski, Ulitoltva — Väisänen, Nurmelainen, Keskinen, Markhiev, Terho — Skyttä.
Prediction
This match means nothing for Denmark, but it's Finland's last chance. The Finns will go on the attack and try to score as many as possible. My bet: Finland individual total over 1 at odds of 1.70.
