Finland beat Serbia women 3-1 in Tampere World Cup playoff
Serbia host Finland in the second leg of the 2027 World Cup playoff on Tuesday, October 13, in Stara Pazova, needing to overturn a two-goal deficit.
Finland captain Ema Koivisto rose highest to meet a cross in the 28th minute in Tampere and put her side ahead against Serbia’s women. Eight minutes later, Lota Lindstrom doubled the lead after a solo run, with goalkeeper Milica Kostic powerless to stop it. Finland went into halftime two goals up in the first leg of the first round of the 2027 World Cup playoff, and Serbia ended up losing 3-1.
Who started for Serbia in Tampere?
According to a statement from the Football Association of Serbia, the team traveled to Finland without several players. Head coach Lidija Stojkanovic started Kostic, Cavic, Slovic, Damjanovic, Frajtovic, Milivojevic, Blagojevic, Filipovic, Bulatovic, Ivanovic and Stokic. She made her first change as early as the 33rd minute, when Stefanovic came on for Bulatovic.
Finland are coached by Marko Saloranta, and the match at the stadium in Tampere was refereed by Katarina Kampos of Portugal.
What changed in the second half?
The association says Serbia were braver and more dangerous after the break, even though Finland held a slight edge in the opening minutes of the second half. The goal to make it 2-1 came in the 82nd minute. Vesna Milivojevic scored after a run down the left and a cross from Sofija Sremcevic, who had come on in the 72nd minute, ten minutes earlier. At that point, the statement says, it looked as though Serbia had a good result to take into the second leg.
The reply arrived within six minutes. In the 88th minute Sani Fransi scored, having come on in the 59th minute for Engman. That goal restored Finland’s two-goal advantage, so Serbia will have to make up the gap from the first leg in Stara Pazova.
What is at stake in Stara Pazova?
The second leg is on Tuesday, October 13, at 5 p.m., at the FSS Sports Center in Stara Pazova. To level the tie, Serbia need to win by at least two goals.
The winner of the two-legged tie goes into the final qualifying round against the better of Italy and Belarus. The World Cup is played in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027, and for the first time brings together 32 national teams.
Vesna Milivojevic’s goal and the second-half performance give Serbia something to build on for Tuesday, but the two goals conceded in the first half remain a debt to be repaid in Stara Pazova. The next date is set: October 13, 5 p.m.
