Veikkausliiga: KuPS Wins Eighth Title as Ilves Falls Short

KuPS crowned Veikkausliiga champions after Ilves' late collapse

KuPS wins Veikkausliiga title after Ilves' late collapse against SJK. HJK and Gnistan draw in Helsinki derby.

Vertti Hanninen gave Gnistan the lead, putting them on course for their third win over HJK this season...

KuPS Kuopio has successfully defended their Veikkausliiga title, securing an eighth Finnish league championship. The team sealed their victory after beating Inter Turku and taking advantage of Ilves' late draw with SJK. In a nail-biting finish, Ilves conceded a goal in the 94th minute, ensuring KuPS would finish four points clear with one round of matches remaining.

KuPS held a two-point lead over Ilves and a three-point lead over Inter Turku heading into the penultimate round. Inter Turku's defeat eliminated their chances of winning the title, ending their hopes of claiming their first championship since 2008. KuPS' victory marks a significant achievement for the team, solidifying their dominance in Finnish football.

The visitors began strongly, needing something from the match, and they got off to a flying start when they took the lead just eight minutes in. KuPS failed to clear a corner, and Iiro Jarvinen seized the opportunity, ghosting into the box to slam the loose ball high into the roof of the net.

As the saying goes, late in the first half is “a good time to score,” and this match in Kuopio proved that to be true. In added time, a hanging Jaakko Oksanen corner was headed in by Ibrahim Cisse, doubling the visitors' advantage and giving them a two-goal cushion at the break.

KuPS took control in the second half, but the visitors' lead was already secure, having scored twice in the first half.

Ruoppi + Parzyszek = ⚽️🔥#tältätuntuu #veikkausliiga pic.twitter.com/dKSk7GByHr

— Veikkausliiga (@Veikkausliiga) November 2, 2025

Just seven minutes after the break, Jaakko Oksanen delivered a beautifully curled free-kick into the area, which found Saku Savolainen unmarked at the back post. Savolainen connected sweetly with a header, putting the reigning champions ahead.

Midway through the second half, KuPS sealed the win with a third goal. Otto Ruoppi cleverly made his way to the edge of the box and, showing great composure, chose to square the ball to Piotr Parzyszek instead of taking the shot himself. Parzyszek coolly rolled the ball into the bottom corner, securing the victory for KuPS.

Inter Turku managed to reduce the deficit with a penalty kick from Florian Krebs 10 minutes from time, giving their title hopes a glimmer of life. However, it was too little, too late, as KuPS held on for a 3-2 win. This victory put KuPS five points clear and extended their unbeaten run to eight games.

The win also had significant implications for the title race. With this loss, Inter Turku's chances of winning the title were eliminated, leaving Ilves as the only challengers to KuPS. However, Ilves faced a tough task, needing to beat SJK on Monday night to keep their title hopes alive and push the championship to the final day.

Ilves got off to a rocky start, conceding a goal just 17 minutes in. Lauri Laine broke through the home defense, exchanged a neat one-two with Jeremiah Streng, and finished with style, guiding the ball into the net.

Ilves managed to level the score just before halftime. Marius Soderback made a great run down the byline and pulled the ball back for Roope Riski, who applied the simple finish to tie the game.

Ilves failed to build momentum in the second half, unlike KuPS. Instead, they fell behind again on the hour mark when Jeremiah Streng turned provider into scorer, thanks to a well-placed pass from Kasper Paananen.

Ilves showed resilience and equalized six minutes later through Oiva Jukkola. They took the lead with nine minutes to play, courtesy of Roope Riski's second goal of the game, sparking hope that the title race would go down to the wire.

However, the home fans' joy was short-lived, as SJK snatched a late equalizer deep into added time, dealing a crushing blow to Ilves' title aspirations.

A long ball forward into the Ilves box was cleared only as far as Kasper Paananen on the edge of the area. He took it down, jinked past a couple of defenders, and hammered the ball past Faris Krkalic in the Ilves goal, drawing the match 3-3. This dramatic turn of events handed KuPS the title.

With this win, KuPS claims its third league title this century, following triumphs in 2019 and 2024. The club's previous five crowns all came between 1956 and 1976. This marks the first time KuPS has won the league in back-to-back seasons, a testament to the team's consistency and dominance.

For Ilves, the small consolation is qualification for the UEFA Conference League next season. The final day will determine who takes the last European spot: Inter Turku or SJK, who are currently two points apart. The suspense continues.

The Helsinki derby between Gnistan and HJK had no major implications, but local pride was on the line. Gnistan, sitting in sixth place, hosted HJK, who were fifth in the table, in a match where bragging rights were the main prize.

Vertti Hanninen gave Gnistan the lead, putting them on course for their third win over HJK this season. However, Lucas Lingman and Santeri Hostikka turned the game around with goals before halftime, securing a turnaround in fortunes for HJK.

KUPS ON SUOMENMESTARI VUOSIMALLIA 2025 🏆#tältätuntuu #veikkausliiga pic.twitter.com/OZ47fSXmOq

— Veikkausliiga (@Veikkausliiga) November 3, 2025

HJK couldn't hold on to their lead, and in the 90th minute, Mihailo Bogicevic scored an own goal, making the score 2-2. This result means Gnistan has drawn back-to-back matches.

Gnistan remain 16 points behind HJK, who in turn trail SJK by seven points. The Championship Group has seen very little movement, with both teams struggling to find wins. The only win in the group came when Gnistan secured a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture.