Northern Ireland v Finland background
Monday, February 2, 2015
Article summary
Northern Ireland made a fine start in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group F and will look to atone for a defeat last time out as they take on Finland for the eighth time.
Article top media content
Article body
Northern Ireland will look to get back to winning ways as they kick off 2015 with a UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group F game against Finland.
Previous meetings
• It is all level after seven games between the two sides, with the record for both teams reading W3 D1 L3. Most recently, they drew 3-3 in a Belfast friendly in August 2012.
• Their most recent competitive fixtures came in UEFA EURO 2000 qualifying, when Lawrie McMenemy's Northern Ireland won 1-0 in Belfast but lost 4-1 to Richard Møller Nielsen's side in the return fixture in Helsinki.
Form guide
• Northern Ireland won their opening three Group F games but came back down to earth with a 2-0 defeat in Romania last time out.
• Finland are without a win in three Group F matches (D1 L2) since opening their campaign with a 3-1 win in the Faroe Islands. They have failed to score in their last two qualifiers.
Trivia and links
• Finland forward Teemu Pukki turns 25 on the day of the Northern Ireland game.
• In 16 contests between the nations' clubs in UEFA competitions, the Northern Irish sides' record is W3 D6 L7.
• The Finns have also had the better of their eight meetings with Northern Ireland in UEFA age-group competitions: W5 D1 L2.
