KuPS - IFK Mariehamn

KuPS – MIFK

KuPS: 0-0-0-3-0-1
MIFK:1-3-1-1-1-1

H2H: 4-2-3

29.04.2009 MIFK – KuPS 3-0

KuPS, who find themselves at the relegation zone at the moment face probably the most difficult club possible, when IFK Mariehamn travel to Kuopio in effort to strech their run of play without losing to 12. However out of the 8 away games MIFK have drawn amazing 6 times, and lost and won once. The only loss of the season so far was in early May against HJK.

Check out what Nordic Football News have to say!

KuPS have improved a lot lately and goal-keeper Ville Iiskola is confident before the game,” IFK is a very physical and strong team, but in this form we are now we are ready to challenge any team in the League. What happened in Mariehamn is just the past, now is now.”

IFK Mariehamn coach Steve Ward agrees, ” I am sure it will as tough at Kuopio just like it was against Honka and Inter. We have also played well lately, but we should get rid of the draws and get some away wins if we want to seriously fight of the top spots.

The game will be played on artificial pitch at Magnum Arena, but IFK defender Patrik Rikama is not worried,” we have practiced the whole week on artificial pitch at Mariehamn ahead of this game, and I think it will be to our advantage in the end because we are the better team to control the ball.”

KuPS have no new injury worries, the only absentee for IFK Mariehamn is striker Sasha Anttilainen 7/1.

KuPS: 1 Ville Iiskola 13/0 – 8 Tero Taipale 15/0 – 9 Balazs Balogh 11/1- 3 Janne Reinikainen 14/0 - 4 Patrik Turunen 11/0 – 15 Ollo 11/0 – 11 Pele Koljonen 12/2 – 10 Ilja Venäläinen 13/3 - 13 Betim Aliju 9/0 - 27 Segun Ikudehinbu 3/0 - 7 Miikka Turunen 13/2

Bench: 17 Jussi Kolari 0/0, 23 Jussi-Pekka Savolainen 12/0, 20 Miikka Ilo 14/0, 12 Joonas Pöntinen (gk) 2/0, 24 Atte Hoivala 5/0, 6 Tuomas Kuparinen 11/0, 22 Jyrki Juvonen 1/0

Out: 5 Jani Hartikainen 10/0 for the rest of the season, 20, 21 Jesse Miettinen 0/0, 26 Dickson Nwakaeme 1/1, 2 Joni Nissinen 1/0

Coach: Esa Pekonen


MIFK : 29 Gustav Långbacka 15/0 - 24 Mate Dujilo 11/1- 6 Marcus Olofsson 14/1 – 22 Alexandros Pappas 14/0 – 23 Paulus Arajuuri 13/1 – 8 Kenneth Gustavsson 13/0 - 9 Ante Simunac 13/2 – 10 Tamás Gruborovics 15/5 – 11 Mika Niskala 15/1 –14 Arsim Gashi 14/1 - 26 Wilhelm Ingves 13/2

Bench: 15 Amos Ekhalie 7/0, 4 Johan Carlsson 12/0, 1 Willis Ochieng (gk) 1/0, 2 Dmytro Voloshyn 7/0, 18 Dmytro Pronevych 2/0

Unavailable: 30 Sasha Anttilainen 7/1

Coach : Pekka Lyyski

Prediction: There is no question which team is the better one, and the IFK defence is very solid. The lack of wins still is a bit unconvincing factor, and it is down to the lack of proper strikers and the current odds for away win are not to my liking. One of these IFK will also lose a game, they deserved to do that against Honka, maybe they will lose at Kuopio undeservedly? This needs more studuying and changes in odds.

Edit: No value with current odds of +0.5 @ 1.77 or -0.5 @ 2.17. I skip this one unless odds change unexpectedly.