EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Helsinki Olympic Stadium - Helsinki Sunday 11 October 2015 18.00CET (19.00 local time) Finland Group F - Matchday -3 Northern Ireland Last updated 12/07/2021 18:25CET Official Partners of UEFA EURO 2020 Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Squad list 4 Head coach 6 Match officials 7 Competition facts 8 Match-by-match lineups 9 Team facts 11 Legend 13 1 Finland - Northern Ireland Sunday 11 October 2015 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki Previous meetings Head to Head 2016 UEFA European Championship Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached K. Lafferty 33, 38; 29/03/2015 QR (GS) Northern Ireland - Finland 2-1 Belfast Sadik 90+1 UEFA EURO 2000 Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached Johansson 9, Hyypiä 09/10/1999 PR (GS) Finland - Northern Ireland 4-1 Helsinki 63, Kolkka 72, 82; Whitley 59 10/10/1998 PR (GS) Northern Ireland - Finland 1-0 Belfast Rowland 36 FIFA World Cup Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached O'Neill 44, Armstrong 14/11/1984 QR (GS) Northern Ireland - Finland 2-1 Belfast 51 (P); Lipponen 22 27/05/1984 QR (GS) Finland - Northern Ireland 1-0 Pori Valvee 55 Final Qualifying Total tournament Home Away Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA EURO Finland 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 - - - - 3 1 0 2 5 4 Northern Ireland 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 - - - - 3 2 0 1 4 5 FIFA* Finland 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 - - - - 2 1 0 1 2 2 Northern Ireland 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 - - - - 2 1 0 1 2 2 Friendlies Finland - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 1 1 1 5 5 Northern Ireland - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 1 1 1 5 5 Total Finland 2 2 0 0 3 0 0 3 - - - - 8 3 1 4 12 11 Northern Ireland 3 3 0 0 2 0 0 2 - - - - 8 4 1 3 11 12 * FIFA World Cup/FIFA Confederations Cup 2 Finland - Northern Ireland Sunday 11 October 2015 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki Match background Having qualified for the UEFA European Championship for the first time, Northern Ireland will seek to secure first place in Group F in Finland, who are looking to avenge a defeat in the sides' first UEFA EURO 2016 meeting. • Northern Ireland reached their first ever UEFA EURO, and their first major tournament since the 1986 FIFA World Cup, with a 3-1 home win against Greece on 8 October. The same night, Finland's hopes were ended by a 1-1 draw in Romania. • A point will guarantee Northern Ireland win Group F. Eliminated Finland are certain to finish fourth despite picking up seven points in their three fixtures under interim coach Markku Kanerva. Previous meetings • Kyle Lafferty struck twice in the space of six first-half minutes as Northern Ireland won the sides' Group F encounter in Belfast 2-1 on 29 March. • Northern Ireland now have the edge over Finland in senior internationals: W4 D1 L3. They have lost their only two previous competitive games in Finland, but won on their most recent visit – a 2-1 friendly success in 2006. Form guide • Finland's 1-0 victory over the Faroe Islands in September ended a four-match wait for a competitive home win (D1 L3) during which they scored just once in Helsinki. • Northern Ireland's Group F away record reads W3 D0 L1. Their sole away reverse in the section was a 2-0 defeat in Romania in November 2014. Disciplinary • The latest booking list is available here: http://www.uefa.org/disciplinary/disciplinary-cases/booking-lists/index.html. Trivia and links • Centre-forward Lafferty went into the October fixtures as one of four players to have scored seven goals in EURO qualifying; only Germany's Thomas Müller (8) and Poland's Robert Lewandowski (12) have contributed more. • 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 encounters with Northern Ireland in UEFA age-group competitions: W5 D1 L2. 3 Finland - Northern Ireland Sunday 11 October 2015 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki Squad list Finland Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Niki Mäenpää 23/01/1985 30 Brighton - 3 0 0 0 25 - - Lukas Hradecky 24/11/1989 25 Frankfurt - 6 0 0 0 23 - - Jesse Joronen 21/03/1993 22 Stevenage - 0 0 0 0 - - Defenders - Niklas Moisander 29/09/1985 30 Sampdoria - 7 0 0 0 51 2 - Kari Arkivuo 23/06/1983 32 Häcken - 7 0 0 0 37 1 - Jukka Raitala 15/09/1988 27 AaB - 1 0 0 0 26 - - Ville Jalasto 19/04/1986 29 Stabæk - 1 0 0 0 4 - - Juhani Ojala 19/06/1989 26 HJK - 0 0 0 0 11 - - Paulus Arajuuri 15/06/1988 27 Lech - 4 0 0 0 8 - - Thomas Lam 18/12/1993 21 Zwolle - 1 0 0 0 2 - - Jere Uronen 13/07/1994 21 Helsingborg - 6 0 0 0 13 - Midfielders - Kasper Hämäläinen 08/08/1986 29 Lech - 8 0 0 0 47 7 - Tim Sparv 20/02/1987 28 Midtjylland - 8 0 0 0 47 1 - Joona Toivio 10/03/1988 27 Molde - 7 0 0 0 32 2 - Sakari Mattila 14/07/1989 26 Fulham - 4 0 0 0 7 - - Rasmus Schüller 18/06/1991 24 HJK - 1 0 0 0 8 - - Alexander Ring 09/04/1991 24 Kaiserslautern - 7 0 0 0 33 1 - Robin Lod 17/04/1993 22 Panathinaikos - 0 0 0 0 1 - Forwards - Teemu Pukki 29/03/1990 25 Brøndby - 8 0 0 0 42 8 Krylya - Berat Sadik 14/09/1986 29 - 2 1 0 0 10 1 Sovetov - Joel Pohjanpalo 13/09/1994 21 Düsseldorf - 9 3 0 0 17 4 Coach - Markku Kanerva 24/05/1964 51 - 3 0 0 0 5 - 4 Finland - Northern Ireland Sunday 11 October 2015 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki Northern Ireland Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Roy Carroll 30/09/1977 38 Notts County - 5 0 0 0 41 - - Alan Mannus 19/05/1982 33 St Johnstone - 0 0 0 0 7 - - Michael McGovern 12/07/1984 31 Hamilton - 4 0 0 0 7 - Defenders - Chris Baird 25/02/1982 33 Derby - 8 0 0 0 74 - - Gareth McAuley 05/12/1979 35 West Brom - 9 3 0 0 56 7 - Craig Cathcart 06/02/1989 26 Watford - 3 0 0 0 22 - - Conor McLaughlin 26/07/1991 24 Fleetwood - 8 0 0 0 12 - - Luke McCullough 15/02/1994 21 Doncaster - 2 0 0 0 5 - - Ryan McLaughlin 30/09/1994 21 Liverpool - 0 0 0 0 3 - - Paddy McNair 27/04/1995 20 Man. United - 2 0 0 0 4 - Midfielders - Steven Davis 01/01/1985 30 Southampton - 8 2 0 0 77 7 - Paddy McCourt 16/12/1983 31 Luton - 1 0 0 0 17 2 - Chris Brunt 14/12/1984 30 West Brom - 7 0 0 0 53 1 - Jamie Ward 12/05/1986 29 Nottm Forest - 6 1 0 0 17 2 - Josh Magennis 15/08/1990 25 Kilmarnock - 6 1 0 0 15 1 - Oliver Norwood 12/04/1991 24 Reading - 9 0 0 0 28 - - Stuart Dallas 19/04/1991 24 Leeds - 5 0 0 0 8 1 - Shane Ferguson 12/07/1991 24 Millwall - 4 0 0 0 20 1 - Ben Reeves 19/11/1991 23 MK Dons - 1 0 0 0 2 - Forwards - Kyle Lafferty 16/09/1987 28 Norwich - 8 7 0 0 45 16 - Niall McGinn 20/07/1987 28 Aberdeen - 7 1 0 0 39 2 Dundee - Billy McKay 22/10/1988 26 - 2 0 0 0 10 - United - Liam Boyce 08/04/1991 24 Ross County - 1 0 0 0 6 - Coach - Michael O'Neill 05/07/1969 46 - 9 0 0 0 29 - 5 Finland - Northern Ireland Sunday 11 October 2015 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki Head coach Markku Kanerva Date of birth: 24 May 1964 Nationality: Finnish Playing career: HJK Helsinki (twice), IF Elfsborg, FinnPa Coaching career: HJK Helsinki (assistant), FC Viikingit, Finland Under-21, Finland (caretaker) • One of Finland's top players of the late 1980s and early 90s, Kanerva won five league titles and three domestic cups in a playing career that included short spells with Elfsborg in Sweden and FinnPa but was otherwise spent at HJK. • After earning 59 caps, Kanerva hung up his boots in autumn 1998 and quickly resurfaced as a coach. Following several seasons in club football he took charge of Finland's Under-21s in 2004, leading them to a first UEFA European Championship finals in 2009, when he was named the country's coach of the year in all sports. • Then appointed assistant coach to the Finland senior national team, he took the reins on a temporary basis following the sacking of Stuart Baxter in late 2010 before Mixu Paatelainen stepped into the void. • History repeated itself in summer 2016 when Kanerva was installed as interim head coach for the rest of the UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying campaign; Hans Backe will assume the helm at the start of 2016.