Review of Finland Veikkausliiga 2020 - Round 15

September 23, 2020

Europa League - Thursday 17^th September  

KuPS 1-1 Slovan Bratislava ( 4-3 after penalties )

Round 15

Thursday 17^th September

FC Lahti 1-1 TPS ( att : 702 )

Saturday 19^th September

Inter Turku 0-1 SJK Seinajoki ( att :1,564 )

HIFK 2-2 IFK Mariehamn ( att : 1,425 )

Ilves Tampere 1-1 FC Haka ( att : 2,504 )

Sunday 20^th September

FC Honka 0-0 HJK Helsinki ( att : 1,800 )

RoPS 0-2 KuPS ( att : 1,039 )

KuPS’ expected victory at winless RoPS enabled them to move level at the top of the table after HJK were only able to draw at Honka. HJK head the table on goal difference but KuPS have a game in hand. Two goals in the 10 minutes before half-time, ex Manchester City youth player Boateng’s drive from 30 yards deceived the keeper and Savolainen bundled home on the line, enabled KuPS to coast through an uneventful second half, although Mattias Tamminen of RoPS did contrive to miss his kick from about three yards out just before the end of the match. KuPS have now won 6 league matches in a row, whilst RoPS have 12 consecutive defeats.

Fourth placed Honka were expected to provide a tough test of HJK’s title credentials, and the side from Espoo did just that. In the first half, HJK were reduced to a series of harmless long range efforts and crosses, but had a good spell just after half-time when O’Shaughnessy headed a corner against the bar with the keeper beaten and the sliding Roope Riski just failed to get on the end of a low cross. Despite HJK dominating possession, Honka held out reasonably comfortably, and whilst they didn’t have a shot on target, O’Shaughnessy was forced to cynically stop a dangerous last minute breakaway and was perhaps a little fortunate to receive just a yellow card.

The big movers of the round were SJK Seinajoki following their win at Inter Turku which took them to 6^th place on goal difference after Ilves, IFK Mariehamn and Lahti could all only draw. At the bottom TPS and FC Haka both achieved creditable draws away from home, but RoPS continue to look desperate.

SJK were good value for their win over a lacklustre Inter side, who remain in third place despite a fifth match without a win. Brazilian left-back Murillo was the match-winner for SJK, curling a left footed shot into the corner of the net after Inter had failed to clear a corner. SJK have now won four in a row and look a good bet to finish in a Champions series place.

 A point for IFK Mariehamn looked unlikely with 15 minutes to go as HIFK led 2-0 and it could have been more. However, two goals in 2 minutes turned the game around for Mariehamn’s third successive draw. Backaliden fired home from 20 yards and then Pelvas poked home a shot going wide. Vitinho’s opener for HIFK was ever bit as worthy as Backaliden’s effort and Fagerstrom had turned home Selander’s intelligent lay back to give HIFK a 2-0 half-time lead. HIFK stay fifth.

Ilves failed to overcome a stubborn Haka side. Despite Mezu being given acres of space to head home on 20 minutes, Ilves created very little thereafter. Haka didn’t create much either, although Popovich’s in-swinging free kick evaded everyone to sneak into the corner of the net just after half-time to give them a share of the spoils.

In the other game of the round, TPS battled in terrible weather to take a point at Lahti. Haarala’s fine left footed effort gave TPS the lead just after half-time but Lahti scored a deserved equaliser 7 minutes from the end, when a high cross sailed just beyond the far post, where Viitikko stole in to flick home with the TPS keeper rooted to his line rather than gathering the cross.

In the Europa League, KuPS looked like going out of the competition when Slovan Bratislava took the lead with just 9 minutes of second half extra time left to play. However, in the 120^th minute Udo managed to get ahead of his marker to slam a low cross into the roof of the net to force penalties. It looked bleak again for KuPS at 2-2 when Niskanen sided footed weakly close to Grief, the Slovan keeper, and then de Kamps converted his penalty to give Slovan a 3-2 advantage. A low penalty from Tomas just evaded Grief and then Ratao’s penalty was well saved to his right by Virtanen for 3-3 after 4 penalties.  Boateng coolly converted his penalty, and Virtanen then guessed correctly again, diving to his left to beat away Nuno’s penalty to take KuPS into the next round where they will host FK Suduva,  the Lithuanian champions.

Round 16

Wednesday 23^rd September – 18.30 local/16.30 UK

FC Haka vs RoPS

IFK Mariehamn vs FC Ilves

Inter Turku vs FC Honka

SJK Seinajoki vs FC Lahti

Thursday 24^th September - 18.30 local/16.30 UK

HJK Helsinki vs TPS

Europa League

KuPS vs FK Suduva