Ilves take on the visitors KuPS in the round 10 match of Finnish Veikkausliiga. The match will be played on Friday, May 31st at Tammelan Stadion (Tampere).
Ilves had a strong start. The Lynxes reminded everyone of their presence at the end of the last decade by securing third place and winning another national cup. In comparison, last season the team finished in a modest 8th place. This season, after a sluggish start (a goalless draw against Lahti at home and a couple of losses), they went on an impressive winning streak that allowed them to climb to the top of the current standings. Only Oulu managed to score against them; the rest were all clean sheet victories, including a 5-0 thrashing of Haka at home. In the last round, they had a tough trip to Helsinki to face the reigning champion and perennial leader, HJK. They managed to secure an honorable draw – that match ended 1-1.
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KuPS won the championship in 2019, their 6th in history, but the previous title dated back to 1976. Naturally, they didn't want to wait as long for another title. However, the yellow-blacks only managed to add a Finnish Cup in 2021, while finishing as runners-up in the Veikkausliiga several times in recent years. Last season maintained the status quo: second place, behind HJK. But now, the favorite is struggling, providing a chance for others to take advantage. Nevertheless, KuPS themselves have been unable to pull ahead – they started without losses but alternated victories with draws too consistently. In the last round, they managed to crush Ekenäs 4-1, solidifying their position as leaders.
Last season, KuPS won twice in a row. However, in the winter League Cup format, the Lynxes took a convincing revenge with a 2-0 win. The Lynxes are playing at home and are thus considered the clear favorite in this match. However, their opponents are the league leaders, so we'll bet on the Canaries managing to avoid defeat at the very least.
Prediction for the match: KuPS not to lose (X2).
