Kone Header Ends Oulu Winless Run As European Hopes Revive

Oulu snap losing streak as Inter Turku stay in title hunt

Eeli Kiiskila’s deflected free-kick earned Inter Turku a 1-0 win at VPS. The result cuts KuPS’ lead to 5 points and moves Inter 4 clear of 3rd-placed Oulu.

VPS’s slump deepened as they lost for the third straight game, this time 1-0 at home to Inter Turku...

A single goal was all AC Oulu needed to climb from sixth to third in the Veikkausliiga and finally snap their winless run. Inter Turku also got back on track, grinding out a tight victory to stay within touching distance of the league leaders.

Kone Header Ends Oulu Drought And Revives European Push

Five matches without a win had pushed AC Oulu out of the title picture, but a win over Ilves put their European ambitions back on track. Ilves, meanwhile, saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.

The breakthrough arrived 10 minutes into the second half. Rasmus Karjalainen reacted first to a loose ball on the right and delivered a perfect cross that Abdoulaye Kone powered home with a header.

AC Oulu palaa voittokantaan! 🙌 Abdoulaye Kone ratkaisi AC Oululle täyden pistepotin Ilvestä vastaan. 🔥

Veikkausliigan kierros jatkuu huomenna, kun SJK ja HJK iskevät yhteen. ⚽#tältätuntuu #veikkausliiga pic.twitter.com/ZinSlKt3Ik

— Veikkausliiga (@Veikkausliiga) August 2, 2026

It was Oulu’s first win since June 18th. Ilves remain in ninth and missed out on cutting the gap to the top six down to two points.

Kiiskila Free-Kick Lifts Inter Turku Closer To KuPS

VPS’s slump deepened as they lost for the third straight game, this time 1-0 at home to Inter Turku. The result let Ilves back into contention and allowed Inter to cut KuPS’s lead at the top to five points.

The only goal came early. In the 17th minute, Eeli Kiiskila drilled a low free-kick from 20 yards that took a deflection and looped past the goalkeeper, silencing the crowd in Vaasa.

It was just Inter’s second league win in eight, but their form in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers has been much better. The victory also gives them a four-point buffer over third-placed AC Oulu.