Finland lead the group and remain unbeaten: prediction for Belarus vs Finland
Belarus
The fourth-round UEFA Nations League match between Belarus and Finland will take place on October 6 at a neutral venue in Budapest. Finland have collected seven points and top the group, while Belarus have four points and sit in third place. The teams' first meeting in the current tournament ended in a goalless draw.
- Read also: Albania have won all five matches against San Marino: prediction for Albania vs San Marino
Belarus: four points and clear progress under Goncharenko
Viktor Goncharenko's team began the tournament with a 2-0 defeat to Albania but managed to raise their level after that. In the second round, Belarus played out a 0-0 draw with Finland before thrashing San Marino 4-0. In the most recent match, Artem Kontsevoy scored twice, while Artem Shumansky and Max Ebong also found the net.
One of the biggest changes under Goncharenko has been the team's more reliable defensive play. Belarus have not conceded more than two goals in any of their last ten matches, while they have allowed just two goals in three rounds of the current Nations League campaign. This enables the team to attack with greater confidence without leaving large spaces open in front of their own goal.
Finland: group leaders and five goals from Valta
Jakob Friis's team began the tournament with a 7-0 thrashing of San Marino before drawing 0-0 with Belarus. In the third round, Finland beat Albania 2-1 despite conceding in the fourth minute. Leo Valta first equalized before the break and then scored the winning goal in the second half.
Valta has been Finland's standout player in this edition and has already scored five goals in three matches. He previously netted a hat-trick against San Marino and then added two more goals against Albania. The visitors also have other attacking options, including Joel Pohjanpalo, who also scored three times against San Marino.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Finland have not lost any of their three matches in the current Nations League.
- Belarus have conceded just two goals in three rounds.
- Belarus have never beaten Finland in their six previous meetings.
The group leaders could once again play pragmatically: prediction for Belarus vs Finland
Belarus have improved significantly compared with the start of the tournament and now look far more organized. Goncharenko's team defend well and have already managed to contain Finland in the first meeting, which ended without goals. On neutral ground, the hosts may once again rely on a compact approach and keep risks to a minimum.
Finland, however, have more convincing attacking players and go into the match as group leaders. Valta is in excellent form, while Pohjanpalo can provide the team with an added threat in the penalty area. In an even and tightly contested game, one moment could decide the outcome in the visitors' favor.
