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Ireland v Finland Predictions, Free Bet Tips & Enhanced Offers
Dan Tracey is on hand to provide some Ireland v Finland predictions ahead of the highlight of the Nations League game between the two sides on Thursday.
We have also got some of the best football betting offers, odds and markets from our range of football betting sites to go along with the Ireland v Finland predictions and free bet tips.
Ireland v Finland Predictions and Free Bet Tips
Ireland v Finland Match Preview
In recent years, there have not been many reasons to smile if you are a fan of the Irish national team. The golden generation of the 1990s has long since passed, even dalliances with major international tournaments in the past decade have failed to hit the high notes.
Since their qualification for Euro 2016 in France – a tournament where they dumped out by the hosts at the Round of 16, the Boys in Green have since found themselves in the international tournament wilderness.
Martin O’Neill’s tenure arguably serves as the last genuine high point for those who follow Ireland home and abroad and since the six years since the former Celtic boss failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, it has been setback after setback for the legion of supporters.
Setback due to non-qualification, setback due to selecting managers who have simply not been up for the job and with the search for a permanent successor to Stephen Kenny taking far longer than expected, the search finally came up with an answer in the form of Heimir Hallgrímsson.
The Icelandic coach has arrived at the Aviva Stadium via Jamaica and with the former dentist now having to get to grips with a new panel of international players, his first task is to stop the Republic from sinking to League C of the Nations League.
A task that looks like it is going to need some extra effort in which to avoid it and with a top-two finish in League B2 looking all but out of reach, it now depends on where both they and Finland finish in the four-team table.
Before they prepare to face each other for the second time in consecutive months, it is Thursday’s hosts that sit third and have a three-point lead over the visitors – a lead generated after a 2-1 win in October’s reverse fixture in Helsinki and one that could help them avoid automatic relegation.
Robbie Brady’s late winner proved to be the difference and also completed a dramatic comeback after Joel Pohjanpalo put Finland ahead in the first half and Irish defender Liam Scales restored parity just before the hour.
A huge win in the context of this Nations League narrative but also a huge win for manager Hallgrímsson and although they could only follow that up with a 2-0 reverse in Greece just days later, that first taste of success will have been important in avoiding finish bottom of the group.
But now it is time for the first of my two tips and although Finland have lost each of their four Nations League matches in this current cycle, they have scored in their last two. With this in mind, I am backing the home win and both teams to score at odds of 7/2 with bet365.
In addition to this, I am going to back Teemu Pukki to get on Thursday’s scoresheet but only as a form of late consolation. The former Norwich to get the final goal of the night can also be backed at odds of 10/1 with bet365.
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