Euro 2024 qualifying: Finland 4 Northern Ireland 0
(Pohjanpalo 42, Hakans 48, Pukki 73, Lod 88)
Struggling Northern Ireland found no respite in the freezing temperatures of Helsinki as they suffered a seventh defeat of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in a 4-0 loss to Finland.
Michael O’Neill’s injury-ravaged side started well but crumbled after Joel Pohjanpalo’s penalty late in the first half, with second-half goals from Daniel Hakans, Teemu Pukki and Robin Lod piling on the pain.
A crippling list of absentees provides plenty of extenuating circumstances but Northern Ireland have won only three of their last 16 games, and have only scored in three of their nine qualifiers in this campaign – two of those being victories over minnows San Marino.
A young, inexperienced side played some encouraging football in the first half but lacked the cutting edge needed to earn any rewards, and were punished by their play-off bound hosts, who ended a three-game losing streak that cost them any chance of automatic qualification.
The last time Northern Ireland were in Helsinki in October 2015 they had just booked their ticket to Euro 2016, but this time they were without 12 injured players, with O’Neill having to reach ever deeper into the nation’s limited pool of players.
Ross McCausland only made his first Rangers start at the weekend, and was only called up from the Under-21s squad on Monday after an injury to Paul Smyth, but he started ahead of Conor McMenamin to become the 32nd player used by O’Neill in this campaign.
The decision looked a good one as the Linfield academy graduate linked up well with Isaac Price and Dion Charles in some crisp early moves.
When Matti Peltola stumbled on the right McCausland pounced, running down the right and cutting the ball in for Price, but the Standard Liege man shot straight at Lukas Hradecky.
Finland had to wait until the 14th minute for a sight of goal when a half-cleared corner fell for Pohjanpalo to hit on the volley but Conor Hazard, starting in place of the injured Bailey Peacock-Farrell in the city where he spent much of 2022 on loan at HJK, was down smartly to save.
George Saville was captaining the side on the night of his 50th cap but is yet to score in Northern Ireland colours, so it was sadly little surprise to see the Millwall midfielder fire wide after a neat move involving Price, Charles, and Trai Hume.
The game changed when Finland won a penalty six minutes before half-time. Daniel Ballard blocked a shot from Fredrik Jensen but the ball came to Nikolai Alho, who was clipped by Price as he tried to charge at goal.
Pohjanpalo, who started the night with only three goals in his last 20 Finland appearances, took responsibility and sent Hazard the wrong way.
Northern Ireland needed a response but instead conceded a second just three minutes into the second half.
It was a fine goal through Finnish eyes but O’Neill will wonder how Hakans was able to skip through four challenges before exchanging passes with Glen Kamara and then beating Hazard at his near post.
There was a tantalising glimpse of goal in the 69th minute when Price sent in a low cross for substitute Conor Washington, but Miro Tenho did just enough to keep the ball out of reach, and five minutes later substitute Pukki put the game beyond doubt.
The former Norwich man played a one-two with Robert Taylor, rode a challenge from Paddy McNair, and curled a shot beyond the reach of Hazard.
Pukki turned provider in the 88th minute, playing the ball through Ballard’s legs for Lod to poke home, condemning Northern Ireland to their worst result yet in a dismal campaign.
Other Euro 2024 fixtures:
England ensured a top seeding at Euro 2024 with a laboured 2-0 home victory against Group C makeweights Malta on Friday that will not live long in the memory of an underwhelmed Wembley crowd.
Until the 75th minute all that separated Gareth Southgate’s lacklustre side from 171st-ranked Malta was an early own goal by Enrico Pepe and they had some anxious moments in between.
Captain Harry Kane finally doubled England’s lead with his 62nd goal for his country after good work by Bukayo Saka before Declan Rice had an effort ruled out for offside.
There was precious little to get enthused about though as several England fringe players wasted the chance to make a statement of intent to Southgate.
Italy beat North Macedonia 5-2 in the other game in the group to move back into second place and a play-off spot ahead of a crucial final-day decider against Ukraine. Federico Chiesa scored twice, and Matteo Darmian, Giacomo Raspadori and Stephan El Shaarawy were also on target for the Azzurri, while Jani Atanasov scored twice for the Macedonians
A second-half goal from Denmark midfielder Thomas Delaney ensured his side’s qualification for Euro 2024 as the Danes secured a 2-1 home win over Slovenia on Friday that ensures they will finish top of Group H.
The Danes top the group on 22 points from nine games, three ahead of Slovenia, who cannot overtake them even if they beat third-placed Kazakhstan, who have 18 points, in their final game on Monday due to their inferior head-to-head record against the Danes.
Wing back Joakim Maehle gave the home side the lead with a superb half-volley in the 26th minute, but a brilliant free kick from Erik Janza four minutes later put the visitors back on level terms.
Czech Republic midfielder Tomas Soucek cancelled out a first-half opener by Poland’s Jakub Piotrowski to earn an 1-1 away draw in their Euro 2024 Group E qualifier on Friday, with both the Czechs and Moldova still able to seal qualification.
Albania qualified for Euro 2024 with a 1-1 draw away to Moldova in Group E after the home side kept alive their hopes of reaching the finals with a late equaliser on Friday.
Albania opened the scoring with a 25th minute penalty after Ioan-Calin Revenco fouled Taulant Seferi and Sokol Cikalleshi sent his spot kick into the bottom right corner of the net.
The hosts pushed hard for an equaliser after the break with Albania goalkeeper Etrit Berisha pulling off some fine saves, but in the 87th minute Vladyslav Baboglo’s low shot from close range finally gave the Moldova fans reason to celebrate.
