Jaro - Lahti preview

FF Jaro (11th) – FC Lahti (9th)


Jaro:0-0-1-0-1-0
Lahti: 1-1-1-3-0-0

H2H: 7-4-8
Last game: 17.05.09 Lahti – Jaro 2-1

FF Jaro from Pietarsaari are in the middle of an awful streak and have played last eight games without a win. Lahti are not doing especially well either, having been kicked out of the Europe League by Brugge their only chance for securing a spot for European competition for next season seems to be the Finland Cup.

Jaro lost an important derby game last week against VPS 1-3 , and there is very little to achieve in the league for them, as there should be no danger of relegation but also the top spots are too far away. Jaro have announced a new manager for next season, a Russian legend Alexei Eremenko Sr, and it is perhaps time for Jaro to start looking well ahead for the next season and start putting the pieces together. Jaro signed defender Armas Rooba from Flora Tallinn for the rest of the season to help Jaro with the injuries.

Jonas Emet 18/3 is suspended from Jaro, Sara, Fellman, Matrone, and Aho are also still unavailable. Tillman Grove 1/0 returns from suspension.

Lahti won Viikingit on Wednesday in the Cup after extra time, and did not get the rest they needed. They have been poor travellers for the whole season, and while there are a lot of doubtful players with minor knocks and injuries – at least Toivomäki 17/0, Moilanen 6/0 and Korte 18/2 - on top of the long-term patients the line-up of Lahti is not going to be the best possible, especially the defence looks very vulnerable.

Jaro: 1 Markus Koljander 15/0 – 6 Janne Vellamo 15/0 - 5 Kristian Kojola 18/2 – 2 Jani Tanska 18/1 - 20 Tillman Grove 1/0 – 16 Papa Niang 17/2 – 17 Petter Meyer 17/3 - 18 Mikko Hyyrynen 16/3 – 19 Sebastian Mannström 18/4 – 22 Jens Portin 17/0 – 23 Joonas Laurikainen 18/3

Bench: 30 Jesse Öst 0/0, 11 Jani Koivisto 9/1, 13 Jani Sarajärvi 4/0, 26 Tommi Haanpää 2/0, 12 Vitali Teles (gk) 2/0, 9 Björn-Erik Sundqvist 6/1, Urmas Rooba 0/0

Unavailable: 8 Jari Sara 0/0, 21 Daniel Fellman 8/0, 7 Marco Matrone 14/1, 10 Jonas Emet 18/3 suspended, 3 Heikki Aho 8/0

Coach : Mika Laurikainen


FC Lahti: 1 Viktor Szentpeteri 12/0 –15 Jukka Vanninen 16/0 – 12 Toni Huuhka 14/1 - 2 Heikki Haara 15/1 – 6 Kalle Eerola 15/0 - 8 Mohamed Fofana 16/3 - 9 Rafael 16/3– 11 Drilon Shala 18/5 – 14 Konsta Hietanen 17/0 – 19 Riku Heini 13/0 - 17 Eero Korte 18/2

Bench: 21 Kaarlo Rantanen 7/0, 22 Juha Tuomi (gk) 6/0, 10 Jari Litmanen 10/0, 4 Janne Moilanen 6/0, 20 Jonne Kemppinen 16/2 13 Jussi Länsitalo 9/2, 3 Henri Toivomäki 17/0

Unavailable: 7 Jukka Veltheim 2/0 for the rest of the season, 16 Jussi Heikkinen 2/0

Coach : Ilkka Mäkelä

Prediction: A time for a Jaro win, need to check the handicaps and prices later. No early bets for this, it will also be broadcasted live.