HJK at the heart of Savo

KuPS – HJK preview

H2H: 2-2-14 Last game 18.04.2009 5-1 League.


KuPS: 0-0-0-0-0-3
HJK: 1-3-3-0-3-3

KuPS is looking distantly like a Veikkausliiga team again after a two-victory week. RoPS were sent back home with a 3-0 loss from Kuopio, and later this week KuPS got a surprise away win in the Cup against MyPa by 1-3.

The main architect in the RoPS – game was new recruit nigerian Dickson, but there were some problems found in his license after the game and he is suspended until the matter is cleared. Despite the protest made by RoPS the result stands.

”If we want results against HJK the only way is the play our own way and be strong at 1 vs 1 – situations. We can not just sit back and wait, that would lead to a disaster against a quality team like HJK.” says KuPS – coach Esa Pekonen. ”But we are feeling good about ourselves now, and this will totally different from the 5-1 thrashing at Helsinki in the beginning of the season.”

HJK is looking more and more the strongest Champion candidate, despite a bad cup game at Kakkonen side FC Espoo, which they only succeeded to win by 0-1 with a goal by Juho Mäkelä.

HJK have won three Veikkausliiga games in a row, but head coach Antti Muurinen admits that he thinks about KuPS with respect;” they have a new pitch, an artificial one which they are already used to. Their form seems to be good, they are in an excellent mood and this is no walk in the park!”.




KuPS: 1 Ville Iiskola 11/0 – 8 Tero Taipale 13/0 – 9 Balazs Balogh 9/1- 3 Janne Reinikainen 12/0 - 4 Patrik Turunen 9/0 – 15 Ollo 9/0 – 1 Pele Koljonen 10/1 – 10 Ilja Venäläinen 11/3 - 13 Betim Aliju 8/0 - 27 Segun Ikudehinbu 1/0 - 7 Miikka Turunen 11/2

Available: 2 Joni Nissinen 1/0, 17 Jussi Kolari 0/0, 21 Jesse Miettinen 0/0, 23 Jussi-Pekka Savolainen 10/0, Miikka Ilo 12/0, 12 Joonas Pöntinen (gk) 2/0

Out: 5 Jani Hartikainen 10/0 for the rest of the season, 20, 24 Atte Hoivala 5/0, 6 Tuomas Kuparinen 10/0, 26 Dickson Nwakaeme 1/1

Coach: Esa Pekonen


HJK: 1 Wille Wallén 13/0 – 3 Mikko Hauhia 12/0 – 4 Mohamed Kamara 12/2 – 6 Cheyne Fowler 4/1 – 9 Sebastian Sorsa 13/3 – 10 Juho Mäkelä 13/4 - 13 Pyry Kärkkäinen 13/2 – 14 Valeri Popovits 12/3 – 17 Dawda Bah 13/2 – 20 Jukka Raitala 13/0 - 18 Juhani Ojala 2/0

Bench: 2 Mikko Hauhia 2/0, 12 Jani Viander (gk) 0/0, 21 Petri Oravainen 10/0, 26 Johannes Westö 2/0, 27 Mikko Sumusalo 1/0, 28 Nosh A Lody 0/0, 31 Akseli Pelvas 8/2, 32 Sami Salmi 0/0, 16 Jarno Parikka 13/3, 5 Jukka Sauso 12/0

Unavailable:15 Paulus Roiha 3/0, 7 Tuomas Haapala 5/0, 8 Ville Taulo 4/0


Coach : Antti Muurinen

Prediction: Bettingwise a difficult one. Very likely a no bet with current odds, but I will take a look at them now.

In the asian handicap the limits for KuPS:

KuPS 0,50 @ 2.70
KuPs 0,75 @ 2.34
KuPS 1,00 @ 2.06
KuPS 1,25 @ 1.83

For HJK:
HJK - 1,00 @ 1.94
HJK - 0,75 @ 1.75
HJK - 0,50 @ 1.59

Unless there a no dramatic changes in the odds for unexplicable reason, no bet.