I was listening to Radio Scotland after Friday night’s game, and their consensus after there first leg seemed to be that whatever game plan Scotland had was the wrong one and we’d missed an opportunity in this tie after a goalless draw at Easter Road in the first leg.
Given that this was our home leg, yet we failed to really create anything and just seemed to be going backwards at times, the panel seemed almost mystified at what they had just witnessed. Particularly given it was the same side that had played so well against Hungary, but even more so by the fact that the players and coaching staff seemed pretty happy with what they’d got from the game.
Indeed, what little chances there were in the game had pretty much gone the way of the visitors who also seemed content to pick up the draw. Well, of course they would be, they know fine well that they have a terrific home record coming out of a Nations League A campaign. I noted on Friday that they’d gone unbeaten, drawing with both Norway and Netherlands and even inflicting Italy’s only defeat in the campaign.
If Scotland really have played for a draw in their home leg of this crucial Euro 2025 playoff tie, then questions must surely be asked about that given we now have a much harder prospect ahead if Scotland are to make it to Switzerland next summer. Finland are now, unfortunately, the red hot favourites in this tie.
This is a team that we’ve only faced competitively three times, and Friday was actually the best result we’ve managed against them given the other two were 1-0 defeats. Here’s the one we had in Finland.
Even in friendlies, our record against Finland isn’t the best. Seven defeats, two draws, and two wins. Three draws if you count the Pinatar Cup earlier this year.
The first meeting back in August 1999 was a 2-0 defeat in a friendly in Finland, with another friendly in May 2005 finishing with the same scoreline. There was a 0-0 draw at McDiarmid Park in August 2006, whilst we had 1-0 and 4-1 defeats in Finland within days of each other in September 2007. There was also a 3-0 defeat in Finland in August 2008 and then a 1-1 draw a few days later.
September 2011 saw another 1-0 defeat over there, just before the 7-2 win at Tynecastle that I mentioned on Friday, one of those two wins Scotland have actually managed over Finland. Scotland will need to make three now if we’re going to make it to the Euros.
There was a 3-1 defeat in February 2014, and that other win over Finland came in July 2023 where Caroline Weir and Emma Watson scored in a 2-1 win in Tampere. That was Scotland’s most recent visit to Finland though, so maybe that bodes well.
The other thing that bodes well for us is our recent record. Another thing I mentioned on Friday was how Scotland have only conceded a single goal during this campaign so far, and that came in the 4-1 win over Israel. That continued on Friday, a run that also sees Scotland undefeated in nine matches dating back to the end of the last Nations League campaign.
Admittedly, one of those was the draw with Finland in the Pinatar Cup that was ultimately decided in their favour on penalties. The truth of the matter here is that we need to win, a draw won’t be enough unless another penalty shootout is what we want to see.
Our playoff record, that I mentioned last month, is what really goes against us. Scotland have suffered heartache far too many times now as they’ve come close to qualifying but not quite made it over the line. The disappointment of Spain a decade ago right up to the last campaign and the defeat at home to Republic of Ireland. No one wants to experience that yet again.
The game tonight at the Bolt Arena in Helsinki is a 5.15pm kick off oor time, and it’s live on BBC Alba because BBC Scotland doesn’t start broadcasting until 7pm. It’s also available on the iPlayer and on the BBC website.
If Scotland are to get the win tonight, you really feel like there has to be a different game plan from Friday night. Hopefully Scotland can find one that works, get the result we need, and be making plans for Switzerland next year.
Good luck to Scotland!
