Depleted HJK defence faces goal-shy VPS
VPS travel to Bolt Arena to face HJK on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with kick-off at 17:00 CEST (18:00 local time). It is the first league game for both sides in two and a half weeks, and HJK return with a reshuffled defence: centre-back Till Cissokho and goalkeeper Matej Marković are both ruled out, along with winger Lassi Lappalainen. Joonas Rantanen’s side sit third, six points behind the top two, while VPS are fifth and still searching for a reliable source of goals. Oliver Reitala is the referee.
VPS have scored once in their three championship-round games, a 1-0 win over AC Oulu.
Predicted lineups: HJK vs VPS
Cissokho has started every championship-round game alongside Ville Tikkanen, so his absence creates the main selection question. Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, who partnered him at centre-back in July, is the most likely like-for-like option, but this is a projection rather than a confirmed choice. Jesse Öst kept goal in the draws at KuPS and Gnistan and continues with Marković out. Joona Veteli is available for his first Veikkausliiga game for HJK after debuting in last week’s 2-2 friendly against Paide. The VPS line-up is based on Nuorela’s last competitive XI, the 5-4-1 used against KuPS.
HJK Team News & Preview
HJK started the championship round in good shape: a 2-1 home win over FC Inter, a 0-0 at KuPS and a 1-1 at Gnistan, where they had 67% of the ball and five shots on target to Gnistan’s two. That run kept them in touch with the leaders, and with 21 points still available this is a game they need to win to stay in the title conversation.
The concern is the back line. Cissokho has been a regular at centre-back since arriving in January, and the one league game he missed this season ended in a 3-0 defeat at SJK in August. One result is only an example rather than a trend, but it shows how much HJK lean on him. Marković has been the first-choice goalkeeper for most of the season, though Öst has already stepped in for the last two league games without conceding more than once.
What works for or against HJK
- Unbeaten in the championship round, including a 2-1 home win over FC Inter.
- Seven wins from 12 home league games, plus a 2-1 win over VPS at Bolt Arena in July.
- Fresh absences for Cissokho, Marković and Lappalainen force changes in defence and in goal.
- Three home defeats this season, against Oulu, KuPS and Gnistan.
VPS Team News & Preview
Jussi Nuorela has been blunt about what VPS are missing. After the 2-0 home defeat to KuPS he said the quality gap was clear and that his side had let in two goals that were too easy. Ahead of this trip he added that everyone who watches VPS knows what they need: goals, and strikers who can finish chances. He did see signs during the break that the forward line is starting to produce more.
The numbers back up his diagnosis. VPS had 15 shots against KuPS but only one on target, and managed two shots on target in the 1-0 defeat at FC Inter. Luka Smyth and Simon Lindholm share the club’s top-scoring mark with seven league goals each, but Smyth has not featured in the recent starting XIs. Away from home VPS are solid rather than dangerous: 11 goals scored and 12 conceded in 12 league games, with four blanks. Nuorela signed a contract extension during the break and reported a good squad situation after a training camp with SJK in Seinäjoki.
What works for or against VPS
- Only one goal in three championship-round games and a single shot on target from 15 attempts against KuPS.
- A tight away defence: 12 goals conceded in 12 league games on the road.
- Lost both championship-round games against top-two opposition.
- Nuorela reported a healthy squad after the international break.
HJK vs VPS Odds
Match Result
Double Chance
Handicap
Over/Under
Both Teams to Score
Half-Time/Full-Time
HJK Helsinki vs. Vaasa PS Stats Comparison
Show Recent Results
HJK Helsinki vs. Vaasa PS Form Guide
HJK Helsinki Form, Stats & Data
HJK’s attack is among the most productive in the league at 1.56 goals per game, with Mads Borchers on ten goals and Teemu Pukki contributing five goals and five assists. Pyry Mentu, scorer of the equaliser at Gnistan, is the most influential of the regular starters by FotMob rating. The defensive record is less convincing: 29 goals conceded is clearly more than either of the top two have shipped, and that was largely with Cissokho and Marković available. HJK will have most of the ball, so the question is whether a reshuffled back line can handle the occasional VPS counter.
Vaasa PS Form, Stats & Data
VPS concede only a goal per game, which is why they are rarely beaten heavily, but 1.20 goals per game is not enough to trouble the top sides consistently. Jayden Turfkruier leads the side in FotMob rating and assists with five, yet he was not in the matchday squad against KuPS. The shot volume is reasonable; the shot quality is the problem, as the one effort on target from 15 against KuPS showed.
HJK vs VPS: Prediction & Betting Tip
I am happy to side with HJK here. They are unbeaten in the championship round, have the stronger attack and face a VPS team whose own manager has publicly called for more from his forwards. VPS have scored once in three championship-round games and have failed to beat either of the top two, while HJK beat VPS 2-1 at Bolt Arena in July and still need wins to stay in the title race.
The obvious danger is HJK’s defence. Cissokho and Marković are both out, the only league game without Cissokho ended 3-0 at SJK, and HJK have already lost three home league games this season. VPS are also compact away from home and rarely lose by much. I still believe HJK’s attacking quality, with Borchers, Pukki and Cicale, should be enough against a side that struggles to hurt anyone, but this is not a bet for a big stake.
So it is HJK to win at 1.55 with Winz for me, and I expect a 2-0 scoreline.