Ilves take on the visitors KuPS in Finish Veikkausliiga – Championship group. The match will be played on Thursday, October 16th at Tammelan Stadion (Tampere).
Ilves won their only Finnish championship back in 1983. In recent years, however, they’ve made significant progress. They lifted the Finnish Cup in 2019 and again in 2023, and last season they achieved their best league result in four decades — though they still finished runners-up, just behind KuPS. That earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, but they were immediately demolished 0-6 by Shakhtar in Arda Turan’s debut match as coach. A goalless draw in the return leg sent them into the Conference League, where they stunned AZ with a 4-3 win before losing 0-5 in Alkmaar. Focusing fully on the Veikkausliiga afterward, they climbed to the top of the table. However, recent results have been shaky — a 2-2 draw with HJK and a loss to SJK have slowed their momentum. Still, Ilves remain one of the most balanced teams in the league, with a strong attack led by Adam Larsson and a reliable defense marshaled by Tatu Miettunen. Their home form has been especially strong this season, having lost only once in Tampere since May.
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KuPS are determined to defend their first-place position. The Canaries have shown steady improvement in recent years. They won the league title in 2019, then finished second three years in a row from 2021 to 2023. Finally, they reclaimed the championship last autumn, finishing two points ahead of Ilves. This summer they entered the Champions League qualifiers, knocking out Milsami with a single goal across two legs before falling to Kairat, who later reached the group stage. In the Europa League qualifiers, they comfortably eliminated RFS but were outclassed by Midtjylland. Now, KuPS are competing in the Conference League, where they began with a 0-0 draw against Drita. Despite this extra workload, they continue to lead the Veikkausliiga table. Their defensive organization remains one of the best in Finland, conceding fewer goals than any other team so far. Meanwhile, striker Tim Väyrynen has rediscovered his form, scoring in four of the last five league matches.
Ilves have dominated recent meetings, winning five consecutive official matches against KuPS — including a 4-2 away victory just last month. The hosts are again seen as slight favorites, but this is a crucial fixture for both sides in the title race. Expect attacking football from both — the best bet here looks like “total over 3.0 goals.”
Prediction for the match: Over 3.0 scored goals.
