Qualifiers
Back in 1998, HJK entered the first round of Europe's premier competition, having won the Veikkausliiga the previous year with a ten point lead over VPS. Their 'reward' was a two legged tie against Armenians Yerevan - with a 5-0 aggregate win (2-0 at home, 3-0 away), that was about as regulation as it gets.
The next round was a whole lot tougher, with a tie against French side Metz, who had lost out on the Ligue 1 title the previous season on goal difference. The first leg in Helsinki provided a narrow 1-0 home win, courtesy of an own goal by Jeff Strasser. The return remained goal-less, until Vesa Vasara scored the crucial away goal midway through the second half. A late Metz penalty wasn't enough to keep the Finns out of the group stage.
Metz v HJK, August 1998
Group F
As far as group stages go, it was never going to be smooth sailing. The competition format was such that even second place in the group would not be guaranteed to qualify, with only the two top runners-up going through to the quarter finals. The draw wasn't particularly kind to HJK, but it was unlikely to - their opponents would be Kaiserslautern, Benfica and PSV Eindhoven (the latter two former European champions).
It was in Eindhoven that HJK were first in action, at the Philips Stadion. A 32nd minute goal from Mika Kottila put the Finns ahead, before the Dutch side equalised after half time. A very good point looked on the cards before Arnold Bruggink broke Helsinki hearts with an injury time winner.
Arnold Bruggink scores the winner against HJK
A fortnight later, in Helsinki, Kaiserslautern were the visitors. A goalless draw was a better result for the Germans, leaving the Finns with just one point from their opening two games, and an uphill battle from there.
Aki Riihilahti challenges for the ball
It was Matchday 3 before they got a win on the board, with a 2-0 victory over Benfica. A twentieth minute penalty from Mika Lehkosuo gave the champions the lead, before Mika Kottila scored his second goal of the tournament to seal the win. A famous victory, and vital to keep in with a chance of getting through to the knockout stages. HJK were second, but still three points behind Kaiserslautern, and not doing great for the all important runners-up race.
Benfica victory from 26 seconds in...
The return match in Lisbon was a tense affair - HJK went ahead early after a fifth minute own goal by Englishman (and now Sky Sports presenter) Scott Minto. They kept their noses in front until the 78th minute when Nuno Gomes scored, followed quickly by a goal by Calado. Luckily, Brazilian star Luiz Antonio stepped up and scored a beauty with six minutes to go, which sealed a valuable point.
Golazo!
Unfortunately for HJK, it turned out to be the last point they earned. Matchday 5 saw PSV Eindhoven visit Helsinki, and they too were struggling for points. PSV also brought with them the prolific striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, and he was to prove the difference, scoring a hat-trick which virtually condemned HJK to elimination. A late consolation penalty from Mika Lehkosuo did little but assist the goal difference.
The final game of the group was a hum-dinger. Kaiserslautern were almost guaranteed qualification, while HJK were pretty much just playing for pride. The game saw seven goals, but unfortunately five went to the Germans. Another hat-trick by a Manchester legend, this time Uwe Rosler, saw to HJK's night.
Seven goal thriller
It was the last time continental competition was played in December by a Finnish side, and may yet be the last for a while. There was certainly no shame in finishing fourth in that group, and the defeat of Benfica was an outstanding result.
No matter what Michel Platini says, it's harder for smaller nations to provide Champions League entrants, and perhaps what happened with APOEL in 2011/12 is an exception to the rule. Stiffer tests than KR await in round three. But there may yet be another Finnish fairytale, and the UEFA music piping through Helsinki again - could this side repeat the feat?
