England responded to their recent setback against Greece with a solid 3-1 win over Finland in Helsinki, keeping their UEFA Nations League Group B2 promotion hopes alive. This result marked only their second away win in the last seven matches of the competition.The match began with Finland looking to exploit any vulnerabilities in England’s confidence following their last-minute 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley. They started brightly, with Topi Keskinen missing a good opportunity after Benjamin Källman’s shot was blocked. Despite this early pressure, England’s unbeaten streak of 12 previous matches against Finland hinted at what was to come. Angel Gomes set up Jack Grealish with a precise through ball, and Grealish calmly slotted it past Lukas Hradecky, netting his second goal in three matches after being omitted from the squad that finished as runners-up in the European Championships.Sitting at the bottom of Group B2 and facing the threat of relegation, Finland pushed to make an impact throughout the remainder of the first half. While Declan Rice fired a shot over the bar, England struggled to create many chances. Finland, on the other hand, saw some encouraging moments through Keskinen and Fredrik Jensen, the latter missing a close-range shot as he sought to level the score before halftime.Jensen’s missed chance before the break seemed costly, but a clearer opportunity came in the second half when he lifted a shot over the bar from just a few yards out after a good pass from Keskinen. England, meanwhile, found their footing, and though Hradecky managed to save efforts from Cole Palmer and Rice, he couldn’t prevent Trent Alexander-Arnold’s stunning free-kick, which sailed over the wall into the top corner for England’s second goal. Energized by the goal, substitute Ollie Watkins beat his defender on the left wing and set up Rice for a simple finish, making it 3-0.Finland managed to pull one back late in the game as Arttu Hoskonen headed in Leo Walta’s corner at the near post, denying England what would have been their third clean sheet in four games under Lee Carsley. However, the goal came too late to change the outcome, and England’s win placed them level on nine points with Greece at the top of the Group B2 table. As the final whistle blew, England turned their attention to the upcoming match between Ireland and Greece, hoping for a result that could further strengthen their position in the group — while Finland, led by Markku Kanerva, faced the looming threat of relegation after three seasons in League B.UEFA NATIONS – LEAGUE BSundayKazakhstan – Slovenia 0-1 (0-0)/Mlakar 55/Finland – England 1-3 (0-1)/Hoskonen 87 – Grealish 18, Alexander-Arnold 74, Rice 84/21:45: (1.90) Greece (3.35) R.Ireland (4.40)21:45: (2.20) Austria (3.45) Norway (3.25)Monday21:45: (2.25) Ukraine (3.40) Czech R. (3.20)***odds are subject to change***
