On 14 October, one of the matches of Euro 2024 in football took place. Slovenia and Finland met.
Euro-2024
Slovenia - Finland - 3:0 (2:0)
Goals: B. Šeško (16), B. Šeško (28), E. Janza (90+2)
Warnings: E. Janza (10), B. Kellman (34)
In a thrilling European Championship qualifying match, Slovenia showed their dominance over Finland with an emphatic 2-0 victory at half-time and 3-0 in regulation time. The match took place at the famous Stozice Stadium, where passionate fans of both countries gathered. From the first minutes, Slovenia showed their determination to win. Already in the 10th minute E. Janza received a yellow card for a foul, showing the intensity of the game. In the 16th minute Slovenia were awarded a penalty, and B. Sesko confidently converted it. Sesko confidently converted it, giving his team the lead. In the 28th minute, Pesko continued to shine, again finding himself in the goal and doubling Slovenia's lead. Unable to withstand the tension, Finland rushed into action: in the 34th minute, B. Kallman was yellow carded. Despite their best efforts, Finland failed to make a significant breakthrough in the first half. At the start of the second half Finland made a number of substitutions in the hope of turning the tide. In the 46th minute, B. Kallman was replaced by J. Pohjanpalo, which gave the Finnish squad renewed vigour. Another substitution followed - R. Schuller was replaced by D. Hakans. Hakans. However, Slovenia adopted an equally tactical approach. Sensing the need for changes, in the 60th minute they decided to replace B. Pesko with Z. Vipotnik.
This move was aimed at maintaining a solid advantage and possibly increasing it. But Finland was not going to give up. In the 77th minute, R. Ivanov was replaced by M. Forssa in the hope that fresh energy would help them open the scoring. However, Slovenia's defence remained steadfast and did not allow the Finnish forwards to break forward. With ten minutes left in the match, Slovenia made two substitutions. A. Sporar replaced J. Kurtić and J. Mlakar replaced B. Verbić. These substitutions were aimed at further consolidating Slovenia's dominance and keeping control of the game until the final whistle. In the final minutes of the match, Slovenia sealed the victory by scoring the final goal in the 90th minute. E. Janza, who had earlier received a yellow card for aggressive play, redeemed himself by scoring a wonderful goal. This further cemented Slovenia's victory over Finland in this European Championship qualifying match. In the end, the 3-0 score reflected Slovenia's superiority. The team showed their skill, determination and ability to capitalise on their opportunities. On the other hand, Finland was unable to break through Slovenia's defence and create their chances. This win for Slovenia certainly added to their confidence and self-belief in their fight to qualify for the prestigious European Championship. The fans left Stožice Stadium in high spirits, happy with their team's impressive performance on the pitch.
The next round of matches awaits the rivals: Northern Ireland - Slovenia, Finland - Kazakhstan.
| Slovenia national team | Finland national team | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Kicks in the box | 3 |
| 12 | Kicks | 8 |
| 1 | Blocked shots | 5 |
| 8 | Penalty kicks | 5 |
| 4 | Penalty kicks | 3 |
| 8 | Offences | 13 |
| 4 | Corner | 4 |
| 1 | Offsides | 1 |
| 42% | Ball possession | 58% |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 402 | Total assists | 561 |
| 324 | Accurate assists | 448 |
| 81% | Accuracy of passes | 80% |