Match preview: Wales vs Finland
Wales manager Ryan Giggs leads training. Wales training session at the Vale Resort ahead of their UEFA Nations League match against Finland. 31st August 2020. Lewis Mitchell/YCPD.
International football is back and for Wales, it will be their first run out since November when they beat Hungary to reach the European Championships.
While the prospect of trips to the Stadio Olimpico have been put on hold, Ryan Giggs has a chance to reinvigorate the optimism that surrounded Welsh football when he guided his nation to their second Euro Finals running.
Finland were promoted to League B of the UEFA Nations League following their success in the inaugural edition of this competition, where they won four of their six matches.
FLASHBACKS TO DENMARK DEFEAT
By contrast, Wales missed out on promotion to League A after a 2-1 home defeat to Denmark in the last round of matches, at a time when Giggs was feeling the pressure of football management but he has managed to turn things around.
Now is a good chance to hand some of the younger players a chance to play, but while these are no longer friendly matches, Giggs will still want to continue the momentum that saw Wales reach Euro 2020 after a slow start to qualifying.
Swansea City centre-back Ben Cabango has been handed a first senior call-up, after impressing for Steve Cooper last season in the Championship.
On the experience of being among the first team, Cabango said: “Straight away I walked in and Gareth is sat there on the sofa.”
“It was surreal to get to know him straight away. But he’s a down-to-earth guy and all the team have welcomed me very well.”
As oppose to Chris Coleman, Wales’ current Head Coach has not been afraid to get the youngsters involved with the first-team setup as he looks to enhance a long-term project that will see younger players bred into the team gradually.
Dan James had a huge impact for Wales since Giggs handed him a first start against Slovakia in the opening match of Euro 2020 qualifying.
Giggs thinks James can use these matches to impress Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer, after losing his place in the first team to Mason Greenwood.
“He will turn up fit and raring to go,” said the Welsh boss.
“He had a really good start to his United career but didn’t play as much towards the end of the season but sometimes in the long run that can help you.
“You can have a different perspective on things. Daniel James has always been great when he has come into the camp.”
MY PREDICTED LINEUP
Predicting tonight’s team will be no easy task as Wales are without a number of key first-team players so it awaits to be seen who he will bring in, but this is how I would go about this evening’s match.
GK: Wayne Hennessey
RB: Connor Roberts
RCB: Ben Cabango
LCB: Tom Lockyer
LB: Ben Davies
RCM: Joe Morrell
LCM: Will Vaulks
RM: Gareth Bale
CAM: Harry Wilson
LM: Dan James
ST: Kieffer Moore
Three centre-backs in the form of Chris Mepham, James Chester and Joe Rodon are missing for Wales, but the main concern for Giggs is the omission of Aaron Ramsey.
David Brooks returned to the Bournemouth first team in June and featured in every Premier League game till the end of the season, but misses out with an ankle problem. Tyler Roberts and Ashley Williams are also absent in this one.
(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)
