Finnish clubs in Europe - who can they play?

Just 30 days after European football for 2012/13 ended with Bayern Munich lifting the European Cup in London, UEFA bring continental club football back to our focus with the draws for the first and qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League.

The hood from the Thunderbirds gets busy

In 2012, Finnish clubs had mixed fortunes - all the Finnish entries to the Europa League won at least one tie, with KuPS making it to the third qualifying round, losing to Bursaspor. HJK got through their second qualifying round tie, but lost to Celtic, before then losing to Athletic Bilbao after dropping into the Europa League.

So in Monday's draw, who could the Finnish clubs draw?

Champions League

HJK Helsinki are competing in the European Cup for the fourth consecutive season, and again enter at the second qualifying round. In each of the previous three editions, they've got past round two, but been eliminated at round three.

Last year's winners Bayern Munich

HJK are seeded in the second round, and their matches will be on the 16/17th and 23rd/24th July. Losing in this round will mean total elimination from Europe.

Second qualifying round

Seeded: BATE Borisov (Belarus), Celtic (Scotland), Steaua Bucureşti (Romania), Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Rep), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Partizan Belgrade (Serbia), Legia Warszawa (Poland), Sheriff (Moldova), NK Maribor (Slovenia), Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia), IF Elfsborg (Sweden), Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel), Molde FK (Norway), HJK Helsinki (Finland), FK Ekranas (Lithuania), Neftçi PFK (Azerbaijan), Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia).

Unseeded: Željezničar Sarajevo (Bosnia), FH (Iceland), Győr (Hungary), The New Saints (Wales), Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria), Sligo Rovers (Ireland), Shakhter Karagandy (Kazakhstan), Skënderbeu (Albania), Birkirkara (Malta), Vardar Skopje (Macedonia), Cliftonville (Northern Ireland), Daugava Daugavpils (Latvia), Sutjeska (Montenegro), Nõmme Kalju (Estonia), CS Fola Esch (Luxembourg).

The two clubs who win in the first round - EB Streymur (Faroes), Tre Penne (San Marino), FC Lusitans (Andorra) or FC Shirak (Armenia) - will also be unseeded.

The draw starts at 1100 BST on Monday. Next year's final will be played in Lisbon.

Europa League

Slightly different - Inter Turku and TPS are seeded in round one, while Fair Play entrants IFK Mariehamn are unseeded. Suomen Cup winners Honka enter in round two, and they will be unseeded.

Last year's winners Chelsea (they know what they are)

The Finnish clubs can't play each other, while Inter and TPS will be unseeded if they make it through to round two. Last year there was an element of regional draws, but UEFA haven't confirmed if this is the case for 2013. The first round is played on 4/11th July, the second round on 18/25th July.

I'll list the seeded and unseeded clubs for each round. There are a lot of names... The winners in the first round effectively take the seeding of their opponent in the following round.

First qualifying round

Seeded: Rosenborg BK (Norway), MŠK Žilina (Slovakia), Levski Sofia (Bulgaria), CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), Videoton (Hungary), Ventspils (Latvia), Tromsø (Norway), Aktobe (Kazakhstan), Dinamo Minsk (Belarus), St Patrick's Athletic (Ireland), Qarabağ (Azerbaijan), Vojvodina (Serbia), Malmö FF (Sweden), Sarajevo (Bosnia), Astra Ploieşti (Romania), KR Reykjavík (Iceland), F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg), Inter Turku (Finland), Dacia Chisinau (Moldova), Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), Linfield (Northern Ireland), Honvéd (Hungary), Valletta FC (Malta), Differdange 03 (Luxembourg), Liepājas Metalurgs (Latvia), Gefle IF (Sweden), FC Pyunik (Armenia), HŠK Zrinjski (Bosnia), İnter Bakı PİK (Azerbaijan), Skonto Riga (Latvia), FK Sūduva (Lithuania), FC Vaduz (Liechtenstein), Flora Tallinn (Estonia), Xäzär Länkäran FK (Azerbaijan), HB Tórshavn (Faroes), Rudar Pljevlja (Montenegro), TPS (Finland), Breidablik (Iceland).

Unseeded: NK Domžale (Slovenia), Glentoran (Northern Ireland), Metalurg Skopje (Macedonia), Milsami Orhei (Moldova), NK Celje (Slovenia), Torpedo Kutaisi (Georgia), Teteks (Macedonia), Irtysh Pavlodar (Kazakhstan), Jeunesse Esch (Luxembourg), Crusaders (Northern Ireland), Santa Coloma (Andorra), Chikhura Sachkhere (Georgia), VMFD Žalgiris (Lithuania), IFK Mariehamn (Finland), FC Mika (Armenia), ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar (ISL), Čelik Nikšić (Montenegro), Sliema Wanderers (Malta), Hibernians (Malta), Tiraspol (Moldova), Drogheda United (Ireland), Trans Narva (Estonia), Gandzasar (Armenia), Kruoja (Lithuania), Astana (Kazakhstan), KF Laçi (Albania), KS Teuta (Albania), Víkingur (Faroes), Mladost Podgorica (Montenegro), FK Turnovo (Macedonia), Santa Coloma (Andorra), FK Kukësi (Albania), ÍF Fuglafjørdur (Faroes), Bala Town (Wales), Broughton FC/Airbus UK (Wales), Prestatyn Town (Wales), SP La Fiorita (San Marino), AC Libertas (San Marino).

Second qualifying round 

Seeded: Rubin Kazan (Russia), Standard Liège (Belgium), Hapoel Tel-Aviv (Israel), Sparta Praha (Czech Rep), Lech Poznań (Poland), Trabzonspor (Turkey), Aalborg BK (Denmark), Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus), Utrecht (Holland), Maccabi Haifa (Israel), Sturm Graz (Austria), Omonia (Cyprus), Chornomorets Odesa (Ukraine), Debreceni (Hungary), Hajduk Split (Croatia), Crvena Zvezda (Serbia), Slovan Liberec (Czech Rep), FC Thun (Switzerland), Śląsk Wrocław (Poland), Xanthi FC (Greece), Shakhtyor Soligorsk (Belarus), IFK Göteborg (Sweden), HNK Rijeka (Croatia), FC Minsk (Belarus), Petrolul Ploieşti (Romania), Pandurii Târgu Jiu (Romania).

Unseeded: FK Senica (Slovakia), GKS Piast Gliwice (Poland), Häcken (Sweden), Hibernian (Scotland), Lokomotiva Zagreb (Croatia), Strømsgodset IF (Norway), FC Honka (Finland), Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia), St Johnstone (Scotland), Beroe Stara Zagora (Bulgaria), Dila Gori (Georgia), NK Široki Brijeg (Bosnia), Jagodina (Serbia), AS Trenčín (Slovakia), IL Hødd (Norway), Derry City (Ireland).

The draw starts at 1200 BST on Monday. Next year's final will be played in Turin.

Veikkausliiga week 14 - Lahti off the bottom

Here's a quick review of Wednesday's Veikkausliiga matches, before the break for Juhannus (midsummer).

Lahti 2-1 JJK

The meeting between 12th and 11th in a twelve-team division is often a hard sell, but the narrative here was a bit easier to follow. JJK had won on Sunday to create a three point gap. Lahti wore the colours of FC Reipas in a one-off. They dropped on-loan Fulham keeper Jesse Joronen.

JJK took a ninth minute lead through Dutch defender Jordy van Gelderen, and it looked like the party was doomed. But Lahti's Brazilian strikers saved the day - Vini Dantas equalised on 73mins, before substitute Rafael won it with four minutes to go.

Lahti/Reipas/Barnet celebrate

Highlights of the match are available here, via ESS.fi.

The result means Lahti go 11th, on goal difference, overtaking JJK. They have nine points from 13 games, and a GD of -11. JJK also have nine points from thirteen, with a GD of -13.

MYPA 2-4 HJK

HJK returned to the top of the table on their 106th birthday, with the best tonic for their defeat at Honka. MYPA had the joint-best defence in the league, so scoring four was a good result.

Zeneli scored goal four

HJK scored first through a clever Teemu Tainio header, before Xhevdet Gela equalised and it was 1-1 at half-time. A solo wonder goal from Demba Savage gave HJK the lead just after the break, before Moren and Zeneli made it 1-4. A late consolation from Salmikivi made the final score 2-4.

HJK return to the top, 26 points from 14 games, one point ahead of VPS. MYPA drop to sixth, with 20 points from 13 games.

Highlights of MYPA 2-4 HJK

IFK Mariehamn 4-2 KuPS

An early goal for the hosts set the tone here, and the action didn't finish until injury time. Kris Bright opened the scoring on four minutes, before Joel Vartiainen equalised ten minutes later. Bright bagged a smart second before half time, but Ats Purje again levelled with thirteen minutes to go.

But goals from Robin Östlind, and Dever Orgill's seventh of the season won it for Mariehamn. KuPS keeper Mika Hilander was sent off in the dying seconds for handling outside the box, and was replaced in goal by Tero Taipale for the end of the game.

Highlights of IFK Mariehamn 4-2 KuPS

Mariehamn's inconsistent season aside, they're up to fifth place with 21 points from 14 games. KuPS are seventh with 18 points from 14 matches.

VPS 1-1 Honka

An unlikely match between third and first ended in stalemate in Vaasa. A sixteenth minute goal from Tim Väyrynen gave the hosts the lead with his third goal in five games.

But it was VPS captain Sebastian Strandvall who saved a point with a tremendous goal, two minutes from the end. A one-two with Parikka followed by a smart finish keeps VPS in the chase.

Highlights of Honka 1-1 VPS

Honka are in third place, with 24 points from 14 games. VPS drop to second (as a result of HJK's win), with 25 points from 13 games.

TPS 2-1 RoPS

TPS are slowly moving up the table, creeping up on the leaders. A home win over seasoned bad travellers RoPS helped. Poor defending allowed Mikko Hyyrynen's first goal of the season to give the hosts the lead just after half an hour. Roope Riski doubled the lead on 55mins, going past the keeper and slotting in from a narrow angle.

Mika Lahtinen's headed goal started a RoPS wave of attacks after 73 minutes, but TPS held firm and move onwards and upwards.

Highlights of TPS 2-1 RoPS

TPS are now fourth in the Veikkausliiga, with 23 points from 13 games - just three off HJK with a game in hand. RoPS are now tenth, but have a seven point cushion over the bottom two.

Jaro 0-0 Inter

Inter failed to score for the fourth match in a row. Jaro pootle along, but again had plenty of chances. Inter forward Irakli Sirbiladze, who had been substituted six minutes before the break, was given a straight red card after over-doing the dissent towards the referee. Reports indicate that he threatened to kill the referee... He gets a two-game ban for the red, and the Finnish FA will investigate.

Highlights of Jaro 0-0 Inter

Jaro are eighth, with 18 points from 13 games. Inter go to ninth, with seventeen from 14 games.

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The next round of fixtures are played on Monday 24th June, as the players get a rare break for the weekend. The fixtures are:

JJK v TPS

RoPS v VPS

HJK v Jaro

Inter v IFK Mariehamn

KuPS v Lahti

Honka v MYPA

Games kick off at 1630 BST