Faroe Islands v Finland background

The Faroe Islands have got little change out of Finland in past encounters but at least their results have been getting progressively better as the sides meet for a fourth time in UEFA EURO 2016 Group F.

Match background
• The Faroes' record in three games against Finland is W0 D0 L3 (W0 D0 L1 at home – W0 D0 L1 in Finland), with one of those games played on neutral territory. The Faroes have failed to score in those games, though results have got progressively better since their first meeting: following 5-0 and 4-0 defeats, they only lost their most recent encounter 1-0.

• The sides' only competitive games came in EURO '96 qualifying. Tommy Lindholm's Finland beat Allan Simonsen's Faroes 5-0 in Helsinki on 16 November 1994, with goals from Antti Sumiala (36), Jari Litmanen (52, 71) and Mixu Paatelainen (74, 83) – the latter has been Finland's coach since 2011. It was a similar story in Toftir on 26 April 1995, Ari Hjelm (54), Paatelainen (74), Janne Lindberg (77) and Petri Helin (82) scoring in a 4-0 away win.

• The sides' only encounter since was a friendly in La Manga, Spain, on 31 January 2000. Antti Sumiala (57) scored the only goal for Antti Muurinen's Finland.

• The nations' four UEFA age-group competition meetings have also all been won by Finland, but again there is encouragement for the Faroes; the margins of defeat have got smaller since a 7-0 loss at Under-16 level in 1997. They scored their first goal against Finland at any men's or women's international level in their most recent encounter, a 3-1 loss at Under-16 level in 1999: Arnhold Berg was the man on target.

• The 14 UEFA competition meetings between the nations' clubs have left the Faroese sides with the record W2 D3 L9. The most recent of those ties is the most encouraging one for the home side: Víkingur earned a 1-1 draw at home against FC Inter Turku in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round then won the return leg in Finland 1-0 to progress.