Taking it One Step at a Time: Finland U21 Gears Up for Crucial Showdown Against Denmark

Finland U21 faces a must-win situation against Denmark U21 tonight if they hope to advance to the Quarter-finals of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship for the first time.

However, securing three points may not be sufficient for the Little Owls. Following a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands and a 2-0 defeat to Ukraine, they sit at the bottom of Group D with just one point.

This scenario is further complicated by the fact that teams with equal points are ranked based on head-to-head results before goal difference comes into play. If Ukraine manages to secure a point against the Netherlands, they will progress with four points.

Consequently, Finland needs to triumph over Denmark in Kosice, while also hoping for the Netherlands to beat Ukraine, and they must finish with a superior goal difference compared to the Dutch. Currently, Finland’s goal difference stands at -2, which is one worse than that of the Netherlands.

With this in mind, aiming for victory and maximising their goal tally is crucial for Finland U21 head coach, Mika Lehkosuo.

“We haven’t won a match in this tournament, and we’re definitely going for a win tomorrow. We need to score as many goals as necessary given the circumstances,” he stated to the Finnish FA prior to the match.

“Our team is exceptionally professional in all aspects. The outcome of the Ukraine match has disappointed us, and our performance didn’t quite meet our expectations. We need to enhance our game to achieve a positive result.”

Lehkosuo also acknowledged that he will be monitoring the other match, adding, “We will, of course, keep an eye on the game between Ukraine and the Netherlands. We’ll adjust our strategy based on what unfolds in the second match.”

“We’ve been adaptable in our previous games. We will tackle this challenge step by step.”

With Denmark securing two narrow victories to date, they might opt to rest players ahead of their Quarter-final clash. However, Lehkosuo is not getting caught up in the Danes’ potential tactics.

“It’s difficult to predict how Denmark will approach tomorrow’s match. They may shift their focus towards the quarter-final since they’ve already clinched top spot in the group.

“We’re not going to expend too much energy speculating on Denmark’s lineup. We’ll stick to the course that has led us to the final tournament of the European Championship.”

The match will kick off at the Kosicka futbalova arena in Kosice, Slovakia, at 18:00 local time, with the Netherlands taking on Ukraine in Presov at the same time.