KuPS have performed better than Ilves so far this season, but every game starts at 0-0. Here's all you need to know about the upcoming game:
The hosts KuPS saw competitive action as recent as four days ago, playing in the Europa League. At least it's nice to return home after that away game at CFR Cluj.
One slightly interesting match fact is that this game is played on artifical turf and that the visiting Ilves have a different surface at their stadium (grass). The impact of this is hard to measure exactly, but the visitors stats on artifical turf is 4-4-7 (win-draw-loss) from 15 matches.
KuPS form and stats
KuPS have been very solid at home in the Veikkausliiga so far, with 18 points collected from 7 matches (6-0-1). This has contributed greatly to their 2nd position in the table. The team is doing great wherever they are playing as KuPS has won seven games in a row. The HJK match was the last time out without a victory. It’s been three wins in a row for KuPS here at Savon Sanomat Areena, hoping to make this one the fourth consecutive victory.
Defensively the home team are doing well, with their goalkeeper Otso Virtanen not having conceded a league goal in 261 minutes.
The fans are hoping that KuPS will strike back in this match, putting things right after the 1-3 away loss in the Europa League game against CFR Cluj. In the game before, an away victory in the Veikkausliiga match versus Mariehamn with a 2-0 scoreline.
The betting market estimate that the home team has about 55-60% chance of winning this match. There could be betting value if you think differently, so to help you here are the stats from KuPS's earlier matches at home being 55%-60% favourite: Played eight games, won five matches, drawn three and lost zero.
There's a new fixture coming up fairly quickly for KuPS, as the Veikkausliiga home game vs HIFK is only three days away.
With an average of more than two goals per home game in the league (14 in 7 games), KuPS's attacking play is working. KuPS are not conceding a lot of goals here at Savon Sanomat Areena in the league, averaging less than one per game. The total is 6 from 7 matches.
Ilves form and stats
The visitors are W3-D1-L4 on the road this term. That's in the Veikkausliiga.
Ilves have succeeded in guarding their own goal lately, led by their goalkeeper. It's been 223 minutes since they last conceded in Veikkausliiga.
Ilves are travelling after their nice 4-0 home win in the Veikkausliiga against TPS (placed 11th). Before that one, a nice away victory 2-0 at Mariehamn.
As you can tell from the results above, Ilves was very dominant against TPS, winning the match with a scoreline that even the finest fortune teller couldn't predict. 4-0 (!) with N. Skyttä, L. Ala-Myllymäki, Jair and J. Veteli providing the goals.
As mentioned above, the odds for this match puts the home team as favourites. Perhaps this eases the pressure on the away team, who are capable of producing an upset here on a good day. Looking at earlier matches with similar odds and Ilves playing away, we found two games. Results were zero away wins, zero draws and two home wins.
Scoring goals is the main ingredient in creating success in football, and not only at home. So far Ilves have scored 11 goals in 8 league games away. In the opposite end, Ilves have conceded 14 goals in their away games.
Head 2 Head
This is the result when the teams met earlier this season; Ilves - KuPS 0-0. Head-to-head totals (for the last ten meetings): KuPS won five games, two matches ended with a draw and Ilves has three wins. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: three / sevenTop Goalscorers
  N. Skyttä 5 goals | I. Mettälä 5 goals |
KuPS missing players
Ilves missing players
| KuPS | Ilves | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 16 | 7 | 2 | Played | P | 3 | 8 | 17 |
| 11 | 6 | 2 | Won | W | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Lost | L | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 31 | 14 | 5 | Scored | S | 3 | 11 | 27 |
| 13 | 6 | 1 | Conceded | C | 10 | 14 | 23 |
| 94% | 100% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 88% |
| 88% | 86% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 100% | 88% | 76% |
| 62% | 86% | 100% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 67% | 38% | 47% |
| 19% | 14% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 67% | 38% | 41% |
| 6% | 0% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 67% | 38% | 24% |
| 50% | 43% | 50% | BTTS | BTTS | 67% | 50% | 53% |
| 44% | 43% | 50% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 38% | 41% |
| 12% | 14% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 33% | 12% | 18% |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.5 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 201 | 100 | 27 | Total Shots | T S | 26 | 79 | 219 |
| 78 | 30 | 9 | Shots on Target | S O | 9 | 34 | 88 |
| 40% | 47% | 56% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 33% | 32% | 31% |
- Ilves haven’t played a single 0-0 game away.
- KuPS has the fewest conceded goals in the first half (4) in Veikkausliiga
- KuPS has the most scored goals in the first half (19) in Veikkausliiga
- KuPS have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
- KuPS have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded.
- KuPS haven’t played a single 0-0 game at home.
- KuPS is in the best form (6-0-0)
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | HJK | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 42 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 7 | 27 | 38 |
| 2 | KuPS | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 37 |
| 3 | Inter Turku | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 28 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 31 |
| 4 | Honka | 18 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 28 |
| 5 | Ilves | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 4 | 26 |
| 6 | HIFK | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 25 |
| 7 | Lahti | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 26 | 27 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 15 | -1 | 25 |
| 8 | SJK | 17 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
| 9 | Mariehamn | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 26 | 34 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 23 | -8 | 20 |
| 10 | Haka | 18 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 37 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 14 | -17 | 15 |
| 11 | TPS | 17 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 19 | -17 | 12 |
| 12 | RoPS | 18 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 12 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 21 | -27 | 5 |