Finland vs. Belarus – News and Probable Lineups

Finland will host Belarus in Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, aiming to continue their positive momentum in the UEFA Nations League C campaign.

The Eagle-owls have the chance to achieve consecutive victories for the first time this year, while the White Wings will be eager to regain their form.

Match overview

Jacob Friis’s Finland has struggled leading into the September international break, but a win on matchday one has sparked optimism among supporters.

The Eagle-owls experienced three consecutive defeats in the spring and summer, losing on penalties to Cape Verde in March and suffering a heavy 4-0 loss to Germany in late May, followed by a 2-1 defeat to Hungary in June.

These setbacks, combined with the disappointment of missing out on World Cup 2026, took a toll on morale ahead of the Nations League 2026-27.

However, Finland bounced back impressively with a 7-0 thrashing of San Marino on Saturday, and while this result was anticipated, their vigorous attacking performance is likely to enhance their self-assurance.

With their first home fixture of the ongoing Nations League edition set for Tuesday, the hosts will be looking to secure another solid performance, particularly given their record of three wins from their last four home matches.

On the other hand, Belarus has had a commendable 2026 season under the management of Viktor Goncharenko, who took over in January, but they faced a setback in their recent match.

The White Wings had won three and drawn once in four outings prior to the Nations League opener, extending their unbeaten streak to an admirable six matches.

Unfortunately for Goncharenko’s team, their good run was halted on Saturday when they failed to recover from first-half goals by Kristjan Asllani and Ernest Muci, resulting in a 2-0 defeat to Albania.

Belarus will be keen to demonstrate that this loss was an anomaly, although it’s worth noting that they have only secured victories against teams ranked above 80th by FIFA this year, managing a 2-2 draw with the 62nd-ranked Burkina Faso in June before their defeat to the 67th-ranked Red and Blacks.

Team News

Finland is facing absences in midfield with Naatan Skytta and Niklas Pyyhtia unavailable, the latter due to a hand injury, although Leo Walta, Adam Markhiev, and Kaan Kairinen are expected to be fit for selection on Tuesday.

In the attacking department, striker Joel Pohjanpalo will retain his place in the starting XI after scoring a hat-trick against San Marino and is anticipated to receive support from Adrian Svanback and Benjamin Kallman.

For Belarus, centre-backs Zakhar Volkov and Ivan Tsikhamirau will be tasked with protecting goalkeeper Fedor Lapoukhove, eager to avoid another defeat.

Max Ebong and Aleksandr Selyava are likely to form the visitors’ midfield duo, while Valeriy Gromyko is expected to play in the number 10 position.

On the wings, Artem Kontsevoy and Yevgeniy Malashevich should provide width, supplying center-forward German Barkoxiy.

Finland probable starting XI:

Sinisalo; Keskinen, Koski, S Miettinen, Lahteenmaki; Kairinen, Markhiev, Walta; Svanback, Pohjanpalo, Kallman

Belarus probable starting XI:

Lapoukhov; Kalinin, Volkov, Tsikhamirau, Pechenin; Selyava, Ebong; Kontsevoy, Gromyko, Malashevic; Barkoxiy

Although Finland had struggled before their Nations League opener, their attacking performance against San Marino will undoubtedly have given them a confidence boost.

Belarus may have appeared strong on paper this year, but the reality is that their competition has been less than impressive, making it plausible that the visitors could face a narrow defeat on Tuesday.