WORLD CUP BETTING PREVIEW - FINLAND VS NETHERLANDS

World Cup

2025-06-07 - Finland vs Netherlands

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

Finland v Netherlands
Football: UEFA World Cup Qualifier
Saturday 7th June 2025 - Kick Off 7:45pm
This game is live on TV

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Finland

In recent years Finland have made some history by reaching a major international tournament for the first time at Euro 2020 and they were a Play Off away from doing the same last summer. Qualifying for a World Cup Finals is that much tougher in the UEFA Confederation, but Finland will be looking to push their way into the top two of this Group at the very least.

They will need to be a lot better than they were in the Nations League when finishing bottom of a League B Group and without picking up a point, but March was a more productive time for the Finnish team. In the two World Cup Qualifiers, Finland picked up 4 points, although there is going to be some lingering regret at blowing the 0-2 lead in a 2-2 draw at Lithuania.

Finland were crushed 4-1 by Wales in the Euro 2024 Play Off Semi Final and they have won just 2 of their next 11 games in all competitions and also suffered 7 defeats in that time. All 3 home Nations League games ended in defeat and that does mean Finland have lost 5 of their last 6 home competitive fixtures.

Netherlands

Missing out on consecutive major international tournaments will have really stung all Dutch fans, but Netherlands look pretty competitive these days. Backing up that feeling is the way they gave Spain all they could handle in the Nations League Quarter Final in March having drawn 2-2 at home and 3-3 in Spain before bowing out on Penalties.

A Quarter Final run in the 2022 World Cup was followed by a Semi Final run at Euro 2024 last summer and Netherlands will get their World Cup Qualifying campaign underway this weekend. It looks like Poland are the main contenders for a top spot finish, but Netherlands have to focus on their own results for now as they are already 6 points behind the Poles who began their Qualifying run in March.

Netherlands were beaten 2-1 by England in the final seconds of that Euro 2024 Semi Final, but they have only lost 1 of their next 8 games in all competitions. Wins have been tougher to come by and Netherlands have only won 5 of their last 8 away Qualifiers, although they did win their last 3 in a row in the Euro 2024 Qualifying Group.

Head to Head

Netherlands beat Finland twice when they played in the 2012 Euro Qualifying Group, which is the last time these nations have faced off.

Finland have hosted Netherlands 5 times and been beaten in 4 of those.

Prediction

Some may criticise the format of the World Cup Qualifiers which has forced those teams involved in Nations League Knock Out ties to begin later than some of their rivals.

There is some immediate pressure on Netherlands with Poland already sitting on 6 points in this section and with one team guaranteed a spot at the World Cup Finals next summer.

However, recent years have seen Netherlands develop into one of the stronger teams in the UEFA Confederation and they should have all of the qualities needed to win this tough away Qualifier in Finland.

Euro 2020 will be long remembered by Finland fans as the moment their nation finally made it through to a major international tournament, but that golden period feels like it is now behind them. The Nations League performances were concerning and Finland have already dropped two points against Lithuania in this section.

Two big home Qualifiers are coming up this month, but Finland may struggle to contain Netherlands with the goalscoring power the visiting have shown in recent matches.

It is never going to be easy to win by a comfortable margin when visiting Finland, but England and Greece won by two goal margins during the Nations League Group and Netherlands can match that here.

The Pick :

Finland 0-2 Netherlands

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Netherlands - 1.5 Asian Handicap at 1.87 with Bet365