Wales face tough examination against Finland
Ryan Giggs has prepared his Wales squad for a couple of tricky Nations League match-ups against Bulgaria on Sunday, but first Finland on Thursday. Can his charges grab the positive results they need? Have a read of our preview here:
Confidence high in the Finland camp
Finland made history when the qualified for the Euro 2020. They had never made it to a finals before now and are one of the more unlikely nations to make it to a tournament.
Led by the goals of Norwich striker Teemu Pukki, and bolstered by a group of determined players that fight for each other, they have defied the odds to qualify.
Veteran captain Tim Sparv sums up what this team is about. His leadership and professionalism has helped lift this nation to new heights, yet he himself is no household name.
In fact, apart from Pukki, many people may not have heard of any of this Finland squad at all.
The vast majority play their club football in Scandanavia with only Pukki, Bristol Rovers goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola and QPR defender Nicholas Hamalainen plying their trade in England.
Midfielder Glen Kamara plays for Scottish giants Rangers while striker Joel Pohjanpalo plays up top for German outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
This is not a team of great stars but it is a great team. They will be hard to beat and may surprise a few at the Euros next summer.
Wales ready for Nations League
Wales have made steady progress in recent years and will be feeling they have a great chances of doing well at the Nations League and also in the Euros next summer.
Ryan Giggs has shown his ability to bring a squad together that is both experienced and energetic. The side he has selected to face Finland and Bulgaria includes four players who could pick up their first cap for the country.
He also brings back the experienced guard and star man Gareth Bale. The Real Madrid exile has been frozen out in Spain but will also be welcomed with open arms for his theG Dragons.
He simply has to be in the squad and lifts those around him. The likes of Kieffer Moore, who recently signed for Cardiff, and the exciting Ethan Ampadu will add to a squad that contains well-known veterans like Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu and Chris Gunter.
Other key men such as Ben Davies, Daniel James, David Brooks and Aaron Ramsey make a spine of quality players who should be able to lift Wales through tricky fixtures like these.
Finland v Wales betting tip
Both sides are going to be tough for any opposition and are pretty well matched even if Wales have the better individual quality overall. It should be a tight game which is why we are going for under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.65 with Betway here.
