Contents
- Competition: Finland - Suomen Cup - Quarter-Finals
- Date: Wednesday, 10th, June 2026
- Kickoff: 15:00 UK / 16:00 CEST
- Venue: Vare Areena (Kuopio)
A prized spot in the semi-finals of the Suomen Cup is on the line on Wednesday afternoon as top-flight giants KuPS Kuopio welcome a soaring VPS Vaasa side to the Väre Areena.
With both teams locking horns at the very top of the Veikkausliiga table, this cup tie serves as a mouth-watering prelude to their scheduled league meeting just three days later.
KuPS vs VPS Vaasa Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
KuPS
3 : 1
VPS Vaasa
League Cup
-
VPS Vaasa
1 : 1
KuPS
Veikkausliiga
-
KuPS
0 : 2
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
KuPS
2 : 0
VPS Vaasa
League Cup
-
KuPS
3 : 1
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
VPS Vaasa
1 : 3
KuPS
Veikkausliiga
The upcoming encounter will mark the 65th meeting between these two sides, with KuPS holding a clear historical advantage after winning 33 of the previous 64 clashes, including a convincing 3-1 victory in the League Cup earlier this year.
KuPS team overview
Managed by Miika Nuutinen, KuPS currently occupy an impressive third place in the Veikkausliiga standings with 20 points on the board, remaining firmly within touching distance of leaders Inter Turku after battling their way to a hard-earned 1-1 draw against the table-toppers at the end of last month.
That determined display against the league front-runners extended the Kuopio-based outfit's unbeaten run to seven matches across all competitions (W4 D3), further underlining their reputation as one of the most balanced and disciplined sides in Finnish football this season.
Having already swept aside VPS with a commanding 3-1 victory during the Finnish League Cup group stage earlier this year, the Yellow-Blacks will be confident of asserting their superiority once again and securing a place in the final four, while their unbeaten home record this term provides additional encouragement, with four wins and three draws collected from seven outings in front of their own supporters.
KuPS are expected to field their strongest available lineup, with much of the creative responsibility likely to fall on veteran playmaker Petteri Pennanen, who memorably capped off their winter triumph over VPS with a clinical late strike.
Last matches of KuPS
-
KuPS
1 : 1
Inter Turku
Veikkausliiga
-
JäPS
0 : 1
KuPS
Finland Cup
-
KuPS
2 : 1
FC Lahti
Veikkausliiga
-
KuPS
3 : 0
Jaro
Veikkausliiga
-
IFK Mariehamn
1 : 1
KuPS
Veikkausliiga
KuPS lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Johannes Kreidl
Defenders
-
25
Clinton Antwi
-
23
Arttu Lötjönen
-
28
Brahima Magassa
-
33
Taneli Hämäläinen
Midfielders
-
24
Bob Nii Armah
-
8
Petteri Pennanen
-
10
Valentín Gasc
Forwards
-
9
Gustav Engvall
-
34
Otto Ruoppi
-
21
Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba
VPS team overview
From their perspective, VPS make the trip to Kuopio brimming with confidence and carrying a strong sense of revenge, having recently produced one of the surprises of the campaign by overturning a deficit to claim an impressive 2-1 victory over Finnish heavyweights HJK Helsinki.
The Vaasa-based outfit have been in scintillating attacking form in recent weeks, racking up an eye-catching 14 goals across their last five competitive outings, with four of those strikes arriving in their most recent Suomen Cup assignment, where they swept aside Haka with a commanding four-goal performance.
Despite their undeniable potency in the final third, defensive consistency on the road remains a concern for Jussi Nuorela’s men, who have managed just one away league victory this season, while their backline has kept only a single clean sheet across their previous five matches in all competitions.
With no fresh injury or suspension concerns reported, head coach Jussi Nuorela is expected to field his strongest available lineup, with much of the attacking responsibility likely to fall on prolific Australian forward Luka Smyth, who has already found the net eight times in 13 appearances this season.
Last matches of VPS Vaasa
-
TPS
1 : 0
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
VPS Vaasa
4 : 0
Haka
Finland Cup
-
VPS Vaasa
2 : 1
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
FC Lahti
1 : 1
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
VPS Vaasa
7 : 0
ÅIFK
Finland Cup
VPS Vaasa lineup
Goalkeeper
-
41
Mamadou Jalloh
Defenders
-
23
Miika Niemi
-
6
Emmanuel Okereke
-
2
Lassana Mané
Midfielders
-
7
Jayden Turfkruier
-
34
Antti-Ville Räisänen
-
8
Paulo Lima
-
27
Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan
Forwards
-
24
Yassin Daoussi
-
15
Luka Smyth
-
11
Jonathan Muzinga
Prediction
While Finnish Cup ties are often capable of producing surprises, the combination of superior squad quality and home advantage firmly places KuPS in the driving seat for this quarter-final encounter. The Kuopio-based outfit have consistently turned their home ground into a fortress in recent years, thriving in front of their passionate supporters, while their recent head-to-head record against VPS further strengthens the case for the hosts.
The visitors are expected to offer stubborn resistance and will likely rely on a disciplined defensive structure in an attempt to drag the contest into a tense finale or even extra time. However, the individual quality and big-match experience within the KuPS ranks, particularly through influential captain Petteri Pennanen, could ultimately prove decisive in separating the two sides.
We anticipate a tightly contested tactical battle with clear-cut chances at a premium, where a single moment of quality may be enough to determine who secures a place in the semi-finals.
Three Reasons we expect KuPS to Win
- KuPS are unbeaten on home soil this season, recording four wins and three draws.
- VPS have struggled offensively on the road recently, scoring just twice across their last three away matches.
- KuPS have defeated VPS at Vare Areena in all but one of their last six meetings.
Main prediction KuPS - VPS Vaasa
KuPS to win
Best Odds: