FF Jaro - IFK Mariehamn preview

Swedish-speaking ”derby” at Pietarsaari

Jaro form:0-3-0-3-3-3
MIFK form:1-1-3-3-1-3

Both teams have started the season surprisingly well, but deserve to be in top -5.

FF Jaro has won their three last games including a 0-5 win in the cup against minnows Tervarit, and looking forward to host the islanders. Jaro will be without importants defender Aho (7/0) and perhaps also Jonas Portin 9/0 who is returning from the EURO U21 in Sweden, only to pack his pack and move to Ascoli to join the Serie B team.

In the last game Jaro demolished RoPS, and the team spirits are high despite the fact they are looking for replacements for Aho and Portin. Jaro has been second best in the attack in the league after FC Honka, but they have also conceded a lot of goals.

MIFK had a good week last week, when they snatched a point with a last-minute goal at Lahti and also held on to a 2-1 victory against serie leaders Haka. The win came with a price as top striker Arsim Gashi (11/1) got a yellow card and will be suspended from this game. MIFK games average a lot less goals than those of Jaro, and this game can be described as aattack vs. Defense.

MIFK gets gk Ochieng back from international duty, he has not played in this season´s team yet because of an awful injury last year but is now back in match fitness.

H2H history 1-4-5, last game Veikkausliiga 2008 MIFK – Jaro 1-2.

Jaro: 1 Markus Koljander 9/0 – 2 Jani Tanska 10/1 - 5 Kristian Kojola 10/2 – 7 Marco Matrone 9/0 - 10 Jonas Emet 10/2 – 16 Papa Niang 10/2 – 17 Petter Meyer 9/1 - 18 Mikko Hyyrynen 8/2 – 19 Sebastian Mannström 10/4 - 22 Jens Portin 10/0 – 23 Joonas Laurikainen 10/2

Bench: 6 Janne Vellamo 9/0 , 9 Björn-Erik Sundqvist 1/0, 11 Jani Koivisto 2/1, 12 Vitali Teles 1/0, 13 Jani Sarajärvi, 21 Daniel Fellman 6/0, 30 Jesse Öst 0/0

Out: 3 Heikki Aho 7/0, 4 Jonas Portin 9/0, 8 Jari Sara 0/0


MIFK : 29 Gustav Långbacka 11/0 - 3 Patrik Rikama 8/0 - 6 Marcus Olofsson 10/1 – 22 Alexandros Pappas 10/0 – 23 Paulus Arajuuri 9/1 – 8 Kenneth Gustavsson 9/0 - 9 Ante Simunac 9/2 – 10 Tamás Gruborovics 11/4 – 11 Mika Niskala 11/1 – 30 Sasha Anttilainen 8/1 - 26 Wilhelm Ingves 10/1

Bench: 15 Amos Ekhalie 5/0, 24 Mate Dujilo 9/1,4 Johan Carlsson 9/0, 1 Willis Ochieng (gk) 0/0

Out: 2 Voloshyn 6/0, 18 Dmytro Pronevych 2/0 ,14 Arsim Gashi 11/1 (suspended), 5 Peter Blomberg 0/0 (retired)

Coach : Pekka Lyyski

Prediction: 2-0 home win