Preview: San Marino vs Finland - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to recapture the magic of their last foray into the competition, San Marino will welcome Nations League C rivals Finland to San Marino Stadium on Saturday.

La Serenissima are desperate to avoid another defeat this weekend, while the Eagle-owls will be keen to end their own disappointing losing streak.

Match preview

Roberto Cevoli's San Marino come into this clash as significant underdogs, ranked 211th in the world by FIFA and having prevented a loss just once since 2024.

That run of 15 matches without a win goes back to a 3-1 victory over Liechtenstein in November 2024, earned courtesy of goals from Lorenzo Lazzari, Nicola Nanni and Alessandro Golinucci.

However, that triumph was part of a historic Nations League D campaign that saw San Marino earn promotion to League C by earning the first two competitive wins in their national team's history.

Cevoli will be hard-pressed to repeat the trick this time around, considering the level of opposition in the group - Finland, Belarus and Albania - and the goal will be to avoid suffering enormous losses.

That being said, there will be no relegation from League C in the 2026-27 iteration, due to UEFA's restructuring of the format, and San Marino could play with less fear as a result.

© Imago / Goal Sports Images

Meanwhile, Jacob Friis's Finland are the overwhelming favourites to win on Saturday, but head into the clash on the back of their own poor run of form.

The Eagle-owls, who are ranked 75th by FIFA, have lost each of their last three outings, since beating New Zealand 2-0 in late March.

In fairness to Friis's side, their most recent pair of defeats were at the hands of Hungary (2-1) and Germany (4-0) in late May and early June, and that the results did not come as a surprise.

Finland are returning to the Nations League with an ambition of bouncing back after their relegation fron League B in 2024-25, and they will see a showdown against San Marino as a golden opportunity to make a strong start.

Some fans of the visitors may be cautious considering their dire away record - which features six losses from their last seven games on the road - but the gulf in quality should see the Eagle-owls come out on top regardless.

San Marino friendlies form:

Finland friendlies form:

Team News

© Imago

San Marino could start Nicolas Giacopetti up top this weekend, supported by Samuele Zannoni and Samuel Pancotti.

Cevoli could opt for a trio of Alessandro Golinucci, Marcello Mularoni and Matteo Valli Casadei in midfield, just ahead of centre-backs Dante Rossi and Giacomo Valentini.

As for Finland, they are likely to be led by a strike partnership of Benjamin Kallman and Joel Pohjanpalo, with Queens Park Rangers' Glen Kamara supporting them from midfield.

A three-man backline of Juho Lahteenmaki, Ville Koski and Adam Stahl should be on hand to shield goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, while Onni Valakari and Oliver Antman operate as wing-backs. 

San Marino possible starting lineup:

De Angelis; Fabbri, Rossi, Valentini, Riccardi; Golinucci, Mularoni, Casadei; Zannoni, Pancotti; Giacopetti

Finland possible starting lineup:

Hradecky; Lahteenmaki, Koski, Stahl; Valakari, Karinen, Markhiev, Antman; Kamara; Kallman, Pohjanpalo

We say: San Marino 0-3 Finland

San Marino enjoyed a historic campaign in the 2024-25 edition of the Nations League, but it would come as a shock if they avoid defeat on Saturday.

Finland are in poor form, but they should have more than enough firepower to walk away comfortable winners.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.