Wales vs. Finland: UEFA Euro Qualifiers Preview

The semifinals of the Euro qualifiers have the duel between Wales and Finland, one of the most remarkable matches, as both countries have shown enough quality to reach the tournament based in Germany. 

In their last match in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, the British drew 1-1 in Cardiff against Turkey, who topped the group. 

The Nordics were drawn against the easiest opponent in Europe, but could only beat San Marino 2-1 away. 

When and Where?

Thursday, March 21, 3:45 pm ET at the Cardiff City Stadium 

Moneyline odds: 

Wales 1.86 

Finland 4.44

Draw Offs : 

3.5 

Where can I watch it? 

ESPN+ 

Why Bet on Wales?

Wales is a country used to participating in international tournaments lately, both in the Eurocopa and the FIFA World Cup. But there is something to note.  The past tournaments had a protagonist: Gareth Bale, who had been the star of this country for the last time.  However, this winger is no longer an option because he is retired. 

The last outing of this team from the United Kingdom ended in a 1-1 draw with Turkey.  Neco Williams scored the first goal, but the Turks equalized with a Yusuf Yazici goal from the penalty spot. 

Currently, there are good players but no superstars. We must highlight the skilled winger Brennan Johnson, one of the regulars at Tottenham. There are also players such as Neco Williams, Ben Davies, and Harry Wilson, the latter with an excellent strike with the free kicks. 

At home, Wales has been able to beat Latvia and Croatia, but they suffered a surprising loss against Armenia by 4-2. In other words, they are a good home team but not perfect.  In their favor is that these semifinals are a single match and will be in Cardiff. 

Why Bet on Finland?

Finland is not a regular team in big events, as it has not been able to produce players that make a difference for many years. In that sense, qualifying for the Euro would be a boost to find the path of a successful sporting project after they qualified in the last edition, their first participation in a tournament at that level. 

In the qualification group stage, the Finnish team defeated San Marino 2-1 on the last matchday, one of the worst teams in Europe, but also in the whole of FIFA. Pyry Soiri scored twice and gave his team the qualification to this stage. 

There is no doubt that goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký is their most famous player, starting for the only undefeated team in European soccer at club level: Bayer Leverkusen of Germany. Beyond the goalkeeper, the other players with international recognition play in the MLS in the United States. One of them is 29-year-old midfielder Robert Taylor, Lionel Messi’s teammate at Inter Miami, and forward Teemu Puki, who plays for Minnesota United.  Puki, who has Premier League experience, has two goals in four games in the U.S. league, while on the road to the Euros, he scored twice in 10 matches. 

Another player to watch out for is striker Joel Pohjanpalo, who has a past in German soccer and is having a great season in Italy’s Serie B with Venezia.  He is the tournament’s leading scorer (18) and has 15 goals (13 in 2024) in his last 14 games. 

Final Betting Analysis: Wales vs. Finland

The last official match between the two countries was a 3-1 Welsh win, with goals from Harry Wilson, Daniel James, and Kieffer Moore. 

The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have Wales as the favorite. The Moneyline for them shows 1.86, while Finland has 4.44, and the draw is at 3.5. 

Wales comes from finishing third in a not-so-complex zone, but at home, they beat Croatia and drew with Turkey, so they will take advantage of this window to get qualification to the next knockout stage.  We’ll go for a 3-1 local victory.

Go for a win for Wales in the Moneyline. If you bet $100 at 1.86, you will gain $86 for a total payout of $186. 

Wales vs. Finland Betting Pick: Wales