Wales host Finland on Thursday night in a Euro 2024 play-off as they look to take a big step towards qualifying for this summer’s tournament.
Rob Page’s side are two wins away from booking their place in Germany and know they have home advantage on their side. Should Wales beat Finland, they will face either Poland or Estonia in Cardiff next week, when a spot at the Euros would be on the line.
These play-off matches are one-leg knockout ties, with extra-time and penalties to decide it on the night if required.
Wales came third in their qualifying group behind Turkey and Croatia, while Finland finished four points off Denmark and Slovenia.
Whoever comes through Path A will go into Group D at the Euros this summer, facing the daunting challenge of going up against France, Netherlands and Austria.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Wales vs Finland is scheduled for a 7:45pm GMT kick-off on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
The match will take place at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Where to watch Wales vs Finland
TV channel: In the UK, the match will be shown live on Viaplay Sports 1. Coverage begins at 7:35pm.
A monthly subscription to the channel costs £9.99 a month.
Live stream: The BBC iPlayer will also offer a free live stream service.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Wales vs Finland team news
Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is a surprise inclusion in the squad, having made just three appearances off the bench for Cardiff since September.
The midfielder was initially ruled out of the play-offs by his club manager, having suffered a calf strain, but he has been deemed fit enough to earn a call-up, making his return on Saturday when playing 18 minutes against Swansea.
Ethan Ampadu and Daniel James are both in contention to make their 50th international appearances, with Rubin Colwill and Charlie Savage among the young stars included. Joe Morrell and Tom Bradshaw are both injured.
Finland will be without midfielder Robert Taylor, after he picked up an injury playing for Inter Miami that forced him to pull out of the squad.
Middlesbrough striker Marcus Forss is a doubt, having been forced off inside 20 minutes with a leg injury against Blackburn over the weekend.
Wales vs Finland prediction
Home advantage is crucial for Wales, who have proven they are an incredibly difficult team to beat in Cardiff.
Page’s side produced a superb performance to beat Croatia in October and then picked up a point against Turkey, who topped that Euro 2024 qualifying group.
Finland were relatively solid in their road in their Group H campaign, beating Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland and San Marino, but this will be a step up. We’re backing Wales to set up a play-off final against Poland or Estonia.
Wales to win, 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Wales wins: 6
Finland wins: 4
Draws: 5
Wales vs Finland match odds
Wales to win tie: 2/5
Finland to win tie: 7/4
