Preview: KuPS vs Sabah – prediction, team news, schedule

KuPS need to convert one goal on Tuesday to keep their UEFA Champions League dreams alive as they host Sabah at the VARE Areena in the second leg of the second qualifying round.

The Finnish champions suffered a lost 1-0 when both teams faced each other in the first leg last week in Azerbaijan, which was the first meeting between the two teams.

Game preview

KuPS finished second best in last week’s first leg, managing just five shots in total and one on target compared to Sabah’s 18 efforts, with goalkeeper Johannes Kreidl forced into three saves.

After seeing Umarali Rakhmonaliyev’s goal disallowed in the 33rd minute, the Yellow-Blacks finally entered the first half when Veljko Simic found the net, leaving them with consecutive defeats in the Champions League.

After seeing a two-goal advantage in the first leg of their first qualifier against Vardar defeated within 90 minutes at the Vare Areena, KuPS finally managed to go ahead with a much-improved performance in extra time, winning 4-3 on aggregate.

However, Miika Nuutinen’s side responded at the weekend by beating VPS 3-1 at home in Kuopio, with first-half goals from Jaime Moreno, Gustav Engvall and Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba helping them go five points clear at the top of the Veikkausliiga table.

That victory also marked only KuPS’s second win in their last five home games in all competitions, with their consistency at their place casting doubt on the Yellow-Black’s ability to overturn Tuesday’s deficit as they look to reach the Champions League third qualifying round for the first time in their history.

Meanwhile, Sabah are competing in the Champions League for the first time after lifting Azerbaijan’s first title, and last week’s first-leg victory not only put them in a strong position but also extended their impressive run.

Valdas Dambrauskas’ side have now won three games in a row, as they also won 2-0 in the first leg of the first qualifying round against TNS before beating the Welsh side 2-1 in the second leg in Oswestry.

Unbeaten in their last 20 competitive away games (W16, D4), the Owls will be confident of avoiding defeat on Tuesday, and it would not be a surprise if they press home to their advantage given that each of their last five matches have ended in victory.

Last season, Sabah were knocked out in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League after a 3-0 defeat against Levski Sofia, and they will be aiming to progress to the European competition this time around.

KuPS Champions League form:

KuPS form (all competitions):

Sabah Champions League form:

Team News

KuPS finished their final continental and league weekend games without any new injury concerns, although Samuel Pasanen and Jerry Voutilainen, both sidelined since last year, remain in the treatment room.

Nuutinen named a heavily rotated side against VPS, meaning most of his regular starters are expected to return to the starting line-up.

Moreno is expected to retain his place up front after opening the scoring last weekend, while Luyeye-Lutumba has also strengthened his case after finding the net in his last two games, although he has featured more as a team player in this season’s Champions League campaign.

Sabah also finished last week’s first-leg clash without any fresh injury concerns, with Abdulakh Khaybulaev unused last week.

Dambrauskas can keep faith with the squad that secured victory last week, with match winner Simic expected to keep his place in attack.

Possible list of possible KuPS:

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Sabah likely to start the program:

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We say: In PS XY Sabah

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