Belarus beat Finland for first time to reshape Nations League promotion race

Finland finished the extended international window with seven points from four matches, while Belarus celebrated their first victory in the fixture.

Match highlight

After struggling to create chances in the teams’ goalless draw in Helsinki earlier in the week, Finland were undone defensively almost immediately this time.

A long ball reached Shumansky near the edge of the penalty area, and the forward unleashed a spectacular finish to give Belarus the earliest of advantages.

Matti Peltola threatened a response with a positive forward run and a shot that was saved, but his next significant involvement came at the other end. He fouled Shumansky inside the area in the 15th minute, handing Belarus a chance to double their lead.

Lukas Hradecky kept Finland in contention, strongly saving Zakhar Volkov’s penalty before gathering the rebound.

The visitors sought to build on that reprieve, but Fyodor Lapoukhov denied Adrian Svanback’s header from a corner. Despite enjoying spells of possession, Finland struggled to create further clear openings before the interval.

Belarus defended with determination, although their aggressive approach brought three yellow cards in an 11-minute spell.

Viktor Goncharenko made two changes at half-time, and his team continued to protect their narrow advantage after the restart.

Topi Keskinen found space in a promising position but shot wide. Both he and Leo Walta, Finland’s two-goal hero against Albania, subsequently saw efforts blocked as the visitors’ frustration grew.

Volkov then intervened to head away Oiva Jukkola’s header, while Finland suffered another setback when Ryan Mahuta was forced off through injury with 15 minutes remaining.

Jukkola later had a shot saved, shortly after Kirill Pechenin’s free-kick had struck the Finnish wall at the opposite end.

Both sides had late opportunities in the air. Trofim Melnichenko headed wide for Belarus before Joel Pohjanpalo did the same for Finland, leaving the early goal as the decisive moment.

Belarus held on to secure consecutive competitive victories for the first time since November 2023.

Combined with Albania’s win over San Marino, the result dropped Finland from first to third in Group C1. With only two fixtures remaining in November, their promotion hopes remain alive but their position has become considerably less secure.