Veikkausliiga: Ilves and HJK Play Out Thrilling 2-2 Draw

Ilves and HJK Play Out Thrilling 2-2 Draw

Ilves has stretched its lead at the top of the Veikkausliiga Championship Group, albeit narrowly, after settling for a 2-2 draw on the road against HJK Helsinki, forcing the team to mount a comeback.

The score was level again at 2-2 when Maksim Stjopin played a clever one-two with Adeleke Akinyemi...

Ilves Draws, Fails to Extend Lead

Ilves missed an opportunity to go four points clear at the top of the Veikkausliiga Championship Group after drawing 2-2 away at HJK Helsinki. Despite taking the lead through a beautiful team move inside the first three minutes, courtesy of Joona Veteli, Ilves had to come from behind to secure the point.

The draw means Ilves now lead Inter Turku by two points, having failed to capitalize on Inter's 2-1 loss to SJK over the weekend. Meanwhile, HJK stays five points off the pace in fourth place, with their third consecutive draw significantly hurting their title aspirations.

Ilves has maintained an impressive unbeaten record, avoiding defeat in five consecutive games, while HJK has also shown resilience with an eight-game unbeaten streak. However, HJK's draws have hindered their progress in the title race.

Historically, HJK has dominated the head-to-head encounters, winning 17 out of 30 matches against Ilves, with seven draws and six losses. Given the similar statistics at home and away, a draw seems likely, which aligns with the recent 2-2 result.

The match kicked off with a bang, as the Tampere side scored within the first three minutes. A beautiful team move ended with Joona Veteli showcasing his composure, applying a neat finish under pressure.

The home side equalized deep into first-half added time, catching their opponents off guard. A clearance to the edge of the area was met by Lucas Lingman, who struck the ball sweetly, finding the bottom corner with precision.

Ilveksen vaihdosta tulleet kaverit taikovat tilanteen tasoihin😎💪🏻#tältätuntuu #veikkausliiga pic.twitter.com/fc7sJWXg55

— Veikkausliiga (@Veikkausliiga) September 29, 2025

Just two minutes into the second half, Ilves' fortunes took a turn for the worse. A turnover deep in their own half allowed Teemu Pukki to set up Alex Ring, who calmly scored to put his team ahead 2-1.

The score was level again at 2-2 when Maksim Stjopin played a clever one-two with Adeleke Akinyemi and then beat a defender to fire low into the bottom corner. The goal came on the 65-minute mark, keeping both teams in the match.

The game ultimately ended in a draw, with neither side able to find a winner. For Ilves, the result meant their five-match winning streak came to an end, although they remained unbeaten in six games. HJK, on the other hand, extended their unbeaten run to seven matches but saw their title aspirations slightly dented by the draw.

Mariehamn secured their third unbeaten match with a 3-2 win over Jaro on the road. Both teams had already secured their spot in the league before this round of fixtures.

Cody David osui jo toistamiseen Pietarsaaressa 🔥⚽️#tältätuntuu #Veikkausliiga pic.twitter.com/2KsPgnJsub

— Veikkausliiga (@Veikkausliiga) September 28, 2025

The match saw plenty of action, with Korede Adedoyin opening the scoring for Jaro. However, Sergey Eremenko equalized for Mariehamn late in the first half. The Aland Islanders took the lead again in the first minute of the second half through Emmanuel Patut.

Things took a turn for Jaro when Erik Gunnarsson received a red card with nine minutes left to play. Mariehamn capitalized on the numerical advantage, with Leo Andersson scoring to make it 3-1. Michael Ogungbaro scored a late consolation for Jaro in stoppage time, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome.

The win saw Mariehamn draw level with Jaro on 28 points.