The clash between Germany and Finland promises plenty of goals and drama as the hosts look to extend their impressive run of results in front of their passionate fans. With the World Cup just around the corner the Bundestim are using these games to fine tune their attacking patterns even though critics keep pointing fingers at the coach for not getting the best out of the squad yet. Finland on the other hand are still searching for consistency and this trip away looks like a real test of how far they have come since missing out on the big dance.
Team Form
- Germany have won seven straight games across all competitions and scored at least two goals in almost every outing
- The attack looked sharp in recent friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana where they netted six times combined
- Finland managed a narrow win over New Zealand but lost on penalties to Cape Verde showing they still struggle against organized sides
- Defensively Germany have let in four goals in their last two matches which highlights room for improvement at the back
Tactical Analysis
Germany like to press high and play quick one touch football through the middle which often leaves opponents chasing shadows especially when their wingers cut inside. Their strength lies in set pieces and fast transitions but the team sometimes switches off after taking the lead which could give Finland a lifeline. Finland tend to sit deep and rely on long balls to their target man hoping to nick something on the counter yet their lack of pace at the back makes them vulnerable when Germany break in numbers.
Key areas to watch include how Germany exploit the flanks with overlapping full backs and whether Finland can keep their defensive shape for the full ninety minutes. The visitors have only beaten Germany once in history and that was more than a hundred years ago so any positive result for them would be a massive shock.
Betting Proposal
Given the gulf in quality and the current form of both sides the smart money is firmly on the hosts to dominate from start to finish. They have the firepower to run up a big score at home and the stats back this up strongly.
Germany to win with a handicap of minus 2.5 at odds of 2.05 looks the value types for this fixture
