Veikkausliiga week 18 - goals on Sunday

The weekend started slowly. After good results for the Finnish clubs in Europe, it seemed like a hangover was the order of the day. Jaro hauled themselves off the bottom with a point at home to VPS, and remained there at the end of the weekend, we'll come to the reason why later on.

HJK, after their 7-0 thumping of Icelandic champions KR on Tuesday, struggled to a 1-0 home win over Haka. To paraphrase new signing Mika Väyrynen, "not the greatest game, but three points in the bag, happy with that but next week we have to step it up a notch". The result took HJK top, for twenty four hours at least.

Juho Mäkelä's goal got the three points for the champions

To Sunday, and we'll get this one out of the way - MYPA came back from Romania to draw 0-0 with Honka, a result which leaves both side rooted in mid-table. Footage from the match is available on YouTube if you're so inclined...

The first game of Sunday was a cracker. IFK Mariehamn were still sniffing around the top of the table, and were at home to a JJK side fresh from a thrilling Thursday night victory in Europe. Mariehamn twice threw away leads, but when JJK striker Eero Markkanen scores a hat-trick against you, perhaps a 3-3 draw was a fair result all round. The result leaves IFK five points off the top, and JJK in tenth spot.

Hat-trick Eero Markkenen (not pictured, hat)

TPS kept themselves on the outskirts of the title race with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Lahti, two goals in each half, including a late brace from substitute Juho Lehtonen. The side from Turku are now fourth, six points behind their local rivals Inter but with a game in hand. The derby on August 12th will have some extra flavour.

And now for the big result of the weekend, in the game between the sides which achieved arguably Thursday's finest European results, KuPS and Inter Turku in Kuopio. 1559 people witnessed a massacre - Inter sentenced KuPS to a 6-0 home defeat, which has big consequences. Inter are now top of the table again, and KuPS are a point adrift at the bottom, and the swing in goal difference could prove crucial.

KuPS players hit for six (via the awesome Futisblogi Puoliaika)

KuPS are in danger of neglecting their domestic form at the expense of a European run, as they take defend a 2-1 lead this week, although Inter's splendid 1-1 away result at FC Twente shows that the two can be combined. Inter were exceptional again on Sunday, and have now put together a great run of three wins in a row, after not winning in five.