KuPS and Universitatea Craiova open the battle for a place in the Europa League play-offs
KuPS and Universitatea Craiova meet at Väre Areena in Kuopio in the first leg of the Europa League third qualifying round. Kick-off is at 18:00 local time. The return leg will be played one week later in Craiova, so both teams must find a balance in Finland between attacking risk and controlling the result.
The winner of this tie will qualify for the play-offs, the final qualifying obstacle before the league phase. The defeated team will not immediately end its European season but will receive another opportunity in the play-offs of the third European club competition.
Both teams enter this tie after being eliminated from the qualifiers for Europe's elite club competition. KuPS were eliminated by Sabah FC with a 3-0 aggregate score, while Universitatea Craiova lost 3-2 to Levski Sofia over two matches. For that reason, this encounter is not the beginning of the European season, but a continuation of a period in which domestic league matches, travel and European commitments alternate every few days.
Tickets for this match are in demand among supporters, particularly because of the limited capacity of Väre Areena. It is advisable to secure a place in the stands in good time.
KuPS face their European defeat as leaders of the Finnish league
By the end of July, KuPS had played 17 matches in the domestic league and collected 36 points. Miika Nuutinen's team recorded ten victories, six draws and only one defeat, scoring 32 goals and conceding 16. That record brought them first place, five points ahead of their nearest challengers, FC Inter.
The results in the domestic league show why KuPS should not be assessed solely through their two defeats to Sabah FC. Before the European return leg, the Finnish team defeated VPS 3-1, scoring all three goals during the opening 29 minutes.
The attacking cooperation between three players was particularly prominent in that match:
- Jaime Moreno scored the opening goal in the first minute.
- Gustav Engvall made it 2-0 following an assist from Moreno.
- Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba scored the third goal after Engvall's set-up.
- KuPS played in a 4-4-2 formation and quickly got behind the VPS defence with direct attacks.
Following that match, Moreno reached ten league goals. The Venezuelan forward already knows the Finnish league, where he was the top scorer in 2024 with 12 goals. His ability to hold up the ball, attack the space between the centre-backs and finish moves with a small number of touches will be one of the main threats to the Romanian defence.
Engvall gives KuPS a different type of attacking presence. The Swedish forward can drop towards midfield, participate in combinations and create space for Moreno or the faster players on the wings. Against VPS, Luyeye-Lutumba showed how dangerous he can be when KuPS win the ball and immediately change the tempo.
In midfield, the hosts have the experienced Petteri Pennanen, Jerry Voutilainen, Tommi Jyry and Samuel Pasanen. Nuutinen can therefore choose between calmer possession control and a more vertical approach with earlier passes towards the forwards.
Defeats to Sabah FC revealed a finishing problem
KuPS lost the first match against Sabah FC 1-0 and the return leg at Väre Areena 2-0. The aggregate score was convincing, but the report from the return leg shows that the Finnish team managed to advance deep into the opposition half and create pressure during the first half.
The problem was the absence of the opening goal. After Sabah FC took the lead in the 52nd minute, KuPS had to open up their play further, and the second goal conceded effectively decided the tie. Against Universitatea Craiova, the hosts will again have to turn periods of initiative into a tangible advantage.
KuPS cannot allow a scenario to be repeated in which the opposition survives the opening pressure and then takes advantage of the first major mistake in defensive transition. The reaction of the midfielders after losing possession will be particularly important, because Craiova have players who can quickly move the attack towards the wings and the penalty area.
Universitatea Craiova arrive in Finland after a demanding July
Universitatea Craiova opened the new Romanian league season with one victory and one defeat. They beat UTA Arad 4-0 at home but then lost 5-1 away to Dinamo București. After two rounds, they had three points and an even goal difference of 5-5.
Filipe Coelho's team were simultaneously playing in European qualifiers. They recorded two victories against ML Vitebsk, winning 4-1 away and 1-0 at home. Captain Nicușor Bancu scored the only goal in the return leg.
Their next opponent was Levski Sofia. Craiova lost the first match 1-0 and drew the return leg 2-2. Assad Al Hamlawi scored both goals for the Romanian team in that tie, but it was not enough to overturn the aggregate result.
The results during July show two very different sides of Coelho's team:
- They scored five goals against ML Vitebsk and conceded only one.
- They defeated UTA Arad by a convincing 4-0 score.
- They conceded five goals away to Dinamo București.
- They failed to keep a clean sheet in either match against Levski Sofia.
- In the final three matches before the league encounter with Petrolul, they conceded a total of eight goals.
Such fluctuations warn KuPS that they must not underestimate the visitors' attacking quality, but they also show where opportunities may open up for the hosts. Craiova can create a large number of situations in front of the opposition goal, but space for counter-attacks is sometimes left behind their advanced full-backs.
Al Hamlawi, Nsimba and Bancu carry the greatest threat
After scoring twice against Levski Sofia, Assad Al Hamlawi arrives as one of the most important players in the final phase of attacks. He moves between the central defenders, looks for cut-back passes and can finish moves from directly in front of goal.
Steven Nsimba is also important to Coelho's attacking structure. He scored in the Romanian Super Cup against Universitatea Cluj and was also Craiova's only scorer in the defeat to Dinamo București. He can play as a centre-forward but can also attack space from a slightly wider starting position.
Captain Nicușor Bancu brings experience, aggressive forward runs down the left and the ability to enter the final phase of attacks. His goal against ML Vitebsk showed that Craiova do not create danger only through conventional forwards.
Alexandru Cicâldău is one of the players who can dictate the tempo with passes between the lines. Tudor Băluță provides balance in midfield, while Carlos Mora and Ștefan Baiaram offer pace and one-on-one ability. If the visitors manage to draw KuPS's wide players out of their defensive positions, they can create situations in which their forwards are directly matched against the home centre-backs.
The tactical contest will be decided after possession is lost
In front of their supporters, KuPS will probably try to take the initiative from the beginning. In the victory against VPS, the hosts attacked space early, quickly won second balls and used the direct cooperation between Moreno, Engvall and Luyeye-Lutumba.
Such an approach also carries risks against Craiova. The Romanian team have enough technically skilled players to escape the first wave of pressure. One precise pass towards Cicâldău, Bancu or Mora can bypass several home players and open space for Nsimba or Al Hamlawi.
Several tactical details will therefore be important for the hosts:
- not allowing the visiting midfielders to receive the ball between the lines without pressure;
- keeping a sufficient number of players behind the ball after attacking;
- using Moreno's ability to play with his back to goal to bring the rest of the team forward;
- attacking the space behind the visiting full-backs;
- avoiding unnecessarily opening up the tie before the return leg in Craiova.
Universitatea Craiova have no reason to retreat completely. As they will play the return leg in front of their own supporters, a result that leaves the tie open is acceptable to them. Nevertheless, Coelho's team have shown that they are most dangerous when they can play forward rather than when they have to defend their own penalty area for an extended period.
The opening goal could significantly change the plans. A KuPS lead would force the visitors to move forward more actively and leave additional space for the home forwards. A Craiova goal would allow the Romanian team to close the centre and wait for a mistake from the hosts.
Väre Areena gives KuPS a compact home environment
Väre Areena is located in the Haapaniemi district of Kuopio. City data list a capacity of 4,000 spectators, with 2,700 covered seats. The pitch measures 105 by 68 metres and has a heating system.
Because of the relatively small capacity, spectators are close to the pitch, while the sound from the stands remains contained within the compact stadium space. KuPS have used this proximity of the crowd during previous European evenings to raise the intensity from the start and put pressure on the visiting team.
Places in the stands disappear quickly when KuPS play European matches. Ticket sales for this encounter are under way, while arriving early makes it easier to pass through the checks and find the allocated seat.
For European matches, tickets in the main and end stands may be linked to a particular seat. All tickets are scanned by electronic devices upon entry, so a clearly readable code should be prepared before reaching the checkpoint.
Getting to the stadium and entering
When planning a visit, it is useful to take the following into account:
- the match begins at 18:00 local time in Kuopio;
- the event address is Väre Areena, Kaartokatu 6, Kuopio;
- the club's general information states that the ticket sales gates open one hour before the beginning of the match;
- at certain European matches, the entrances and stadium services have opened 90 minutes before kick-off;
- the specific schedule for this encounter should be checked in the organiser's latest information before departure;
- because of the limited space around the stadium, earlier arrival is recommended, particularly for visitors arriving by car.
The stadium is located within the urban area of Kuopio, so it can be reached on foot from the central parts of the city or by local public transport. Visitors arriving by car should follow temporary traffic signs and steward instructions, because access routes and available parking spaces may change depending on roadworks and the organisation of the match.
Kuopio is the regional centre of eastern Finland, surrounded by lakes and connected by rail with other major Finnish cities. Visitors arriving from outside the city are advised to check the departure time of their return train or other transport in advance, particularly because the match may finish later in the event of extended added time.
The schedule before the match may affect the starting line-ups
Both teams have league commitments on 1 August. KuPS visit IF Gnistan, while Universitatea Craiova play against Petrolul Ploiești. With only a few days of rest, the coaches must distribute playing time and assess the physical condition of their players.
Following the European defeat to Sabah FC, KuPS must simultaneously defend first place in the Finnish league. Craiova are attempting to stabilise their results after the 4-0 victory against UTA Arad, the 5-1 defeat to Dinamo and the elimination by Levski Sofia.
The final starting line-ups therefore cannot be reliably predicted before the completion of the league matches and the final training sessions. Particular attention will be paid to KuPS's choice of forwards and to Coelho's decision on whether to use Al Hamlawi and Nsimba together from the first minute or save one of them for the second half.
It is advisable to secure tickets in good time and arrive at the stadium early enough for the security check. The first encounter will not definitively decide which team advances to the play-offs, but it may determine whether the match in Craiova will be an open contest or a tactical defence of an advantage.
Sources:
- Organiser of European club competitions - third qualifying round schedule, dates and times of both matches and the rules for advancing to the play-offs.
- Kuopion Palloseura - date and time of the home match, squad, coaching staff and information about coach Miika Nuutinen.
- Veikkausliiga - Finnish league table, KuPS's record after 17 rounds, results and domestic match schedule.
- Kuopion Palloseura - reports from the matches against Sabah FC and VPS, goalscorers and analysis of the home team's play.
- Veikkausliiga - KuPS's formation against VPS and information about Jaime Moreno.
- Universitatea Craiova - results against ML Vitebsk, Levski Sofia, UTA Arad and Dinamo București, line-ups and coach Filipe Coelho.
- Romanian Professional League - Universitatea Craiova's league record and the opening-season schedule.
- City of Kuopio - Väre Areena capacity, number of covered seats, pitch dimensions and stadium location.
- Kuopion Palloseura - entry rules, electronic ticket scanning and the usual opening time of the ticket sales gates.