Hungary v Finland background

Hungary have had the better of their past encounters with Finland as the sides prepare for another clash in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group F, but a friendly success this year will encourage the visitors.

Match background
• Hungary's record in 14 senior meetings with Finland is W9 D3 L2 (W4 D2 L1 at home, W5 D1 L1 in Helsinki). In terms of competitive encounters, Hungary's record is W3 D2 L1 (W2 D1 L0 at home, W1 D1 L1 in Finland).

• The sides last met in a friendly on 5 March 2014, Mixu Paatelainen's Finland beating Attila Pintér's Hungary 2-1 in Gyor; Gergely Rudolf (13) put the home side in front, but Joel Pohjanpalo (74) and Roman Eremenko (82) struck to earn the visitors a win.

• Their last competitive encounters were in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying. Sándor Egervári's Hungary beat Stuart Baxter's Finland 2-1 in Helsinki on 12 October 2010, Balázs Dzsudzsák (90+4) striking at the death after Mikael Forssell (86) had cancelled out a 50th-minute opener for Ádám Szalai. With Paatelainen in charge, Finland held Hungary to a 0-0 in the corresponding fixture in Budapest on 11 October 2011.

• The sides had previously met in qualifying for the 1980 final tournament. Aulis Rytkönen's Finland beat Ferenc Kovács' Hungary 2-1 in Helsinki on 20 September 1978, Atik Ismail (30) and Seppo Pyykkö (53) striking before László Tiber (74) replied for Hungary.

• Under Károly Lakat, Hungary avenged that defeat when the sides reconvened in Debrecen on 17 October 1979. Miikka Toivola (47) responded for Esko Malm's Finland after László Fekete (22 and 42) had given Hungary a 2-0 lead at the break, György Tatár (57) eventually putting the seal on a 3-1 win.

• The nations' only other competitive encounters were in 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying. On 1 September 1996, Ferenc Orosz's 15th-minute goal earned János Csank's Hungary a 1-0 home win, and while Antti Sumiala (63) gave Richard Møller Nielsen's side the lead in the return fixture on 11 October 1997, Vilmos Sebők (90+2) snatched a 1-1 draw at the death.

• In 11 UEFA age-group tournament meetings between the nations, Hungary's record is W7 D0 L4. Most recently, Hungary beat Finland 3-2 in a 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifier.

• The nations' clubs have met eight times in UEFA competiton, with the Hungarian sides boasting the record W6 D1 L1. That lone defeat came in the most recent encounter, a 1-0 success for HJK Helsinki at home against MTK Budapest in the second leg of a 2003/04 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie, MTK ultimately going through 3-2 on aggregate.