VPS vs HJK prediction 22.05.2026 | Veikkausliiga
Kick off:
Date:
1
3.75
X
3.54
2
1.92
Contents
- Competition: Veikkausliiga
- Date: Friday, 22nd May, 2026
- Kickoff: 17:00 UK / 18:00 CEST
- Venue: Lemonsoft Stadion (Vaasa)
The 8th round of Veikkausliiga will start with only one game on Friday's schedule as VPS welcomes the greatest Finnish club, HJK, at Lemonsoft Stadion in Vaasa. Both teams come into the game after securing their place in the Suomen Cup 1/8 Finals, followed by draws in the league - VPS against Lahti 1:1 and HJK against Ilves 2:2.
Let's break down the game and find the best possible bet for this Veikkausliga tie.
vs Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
VPS Vaasa
0 : 2
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
3 : 1
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
VPS Vaasa
1 : 1
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
VPS Vaasa
1 : 3
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
1 : 2
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
VPS Vaasa
3 : 2
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
These teams have met twice last season, with HJK winning both games - 3:1 at home and 2:0 away from home. Looking further back, over the previous ten H2H games, VPS won just twice, while HJK won six games, at least in regular time.
Regarding the number of goals, six out of the past ten H2H games ended with three or more goals, while both teams scored in six of them.
VPS team overview
After two seasons in which they secured a place in the Championship Group, VPS missed out last year. Even though they eventually finished in 9th place, they weren't too close to relegation, finishing 10 points above the relegation zone. This season, the team from Vaasa aims to return to the top six and is doing well so far. After seven rounds, they are in 6th place with 10 points, which is around 0.3 points per game more than last season.
Central defender Martti Haukioja suffered an injury in the previous game against Lahti and had to leave the field after the first half. The 26-year-old is one of the team's key players, and his (potential) absence could be a massive factor. Also, Simon van Duivenbooden should remain sidelined with a long-term injury.
Last matches of
-
FC Lahti
1 : 1
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
VPS Vaasa
7 : 0
ÅIFK
Finland Cup
-
VPS Vaasa
1 : 1
Gnistan
Veikkausliiga
-
IFK Mariehamn
0 : 1
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
Leki
1 : 9
VPS Vaasa
Finland Cup
lineup
Goalkeeper
-
41
Mamadou Jalloh
Defenders
-
23
Miika Niemi
-
5
Vilmer Rönnberg
-
6
Emmanuel Okereke
Midfielders
-
27
Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan
-
8
Paulo Lima
-
2
Lassana Mané
-
14
Simon Lindholm
-
24
Yassin Daoussi
Forwards
-
11
Jonathan Muzinga
-
15
Luka Smyth
HJK team overview
HJK, a 33-time Finnish champion, had a disastrous end to the last season and eventually finished 5th, far from expectations. Luckily, by winning the Suomen Cup, the popular Klubi secured the Europa League Qualifiers. This season, HJK haven't had the desired start, as they are in 4th place with 12 points and are already five points behind the first-placed Inter Turku.
Central defender Mihailo Bogicevic received a red card in the previous game against Ilves and will serve his one-game suspension against VPS. The 27-year-old Serbian started in all eight league games, and his absence will definitely be a factor. Moreover, the players who missed the previous games with injuries should remain sidelined - Till Cissokho, Roni Hudd, Kaius Simojoki, Eemil Toivonen, and Leonel Montano.
Last matches of
-
HJK Helsinki
2 : 2
FC Ilves
Veikkausliiga
-
RoPS
0 : 4
HJK Helsinki
Finland Cup
-
TPS
1 : 0
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
1 : 0
FC Lahti
Veikkausliiga
-
Inter Turku
1 : 1
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
lineup
Goalkeeper
-
44
Matej Markovic
Defenders
-
28
Miska Ylitolva
-
6
Ville Tikkanen
-
2
Brooklyn Lyons-Foster
-
92
Mustafa Ameen
Midfielders
-
10
Lucas Lingman
-
15
Jere Kallinen
-
22
Liam Möller
-
7
Alfie Cicale
Forwards
-
18
Toivo Mero
-
20
Teemu Pukki
Prediction
VPS have played almost exclusively high-scoring games in the Cup against lower-tier teams. In the Veikkausliiga, they went under 2.5 goals in six out of seven games - the most in the league.
HJK haven't been great offensively this season, especially on the road. There, they have scored one or zero goals in three out of four matches - 75%. Due to that poor offensive production, they were under 2.5 goals in three of the four matches.
An additional plus for this bet is the fact that these teams have been really good defensively, allowing 0.71 (VPS) and 0.75 (HJK) thus far. Only the first-placed Inter Turku have a better defensive record at the moment.
Considering all the above, an under 2.5 goals bet seems like the best option for this Veikkausliiga tie.
3 Reasons why we should see fewer than three goals
- VPS went under 2.5 goals in six out of seven Veikkausliiga games
- HJK scored one or zero goals in three out of four road league games
- These teams allow only 0.71 and 0.75 goals per game
Main prediction -
Under 2.5 goals
Best Odds:
1xBet
1.98
vs standings in Veikkausliiga
| Regular Season | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Turku | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 14 - 6 | +8 | 20 |
| 2 | KuPS | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 13 - 8 | +5 | 16 |
| 3 | Oulu | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 13 - 7 | +6 | 15 |
| 4 | HJK | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 - 6 | +5 | 12 |
| 5 | TPS | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 - 6 | +3 | 12 |
| 6 | VPS | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 - 5 | +1 | 10 |
| 7 | Gnistan | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 - 11 | -1 | 8 |
| 8 | Lahti | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 - 8 | -2 | 8 |
| 9 | SJK | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 - 10 | -4 | 6 |
| 10 | Ilves | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 - 16 | -5 | 6 |
| 11 | Mariehamn | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 - 10 | -5 | 4 |
| 12 | Jaro | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 - 15 | -11 | 4 |