AC Oulu vs HJK Helsinki Prediction 31.05.2024
AC Oulu
1 - 0
Elapsed: FT
Half time: 1 - 0
Full time: 1 - 0
Kick off:
Date:
HJK Helsinki
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Contents
- Competition: Finland - Veikkausliiga
- Date: Friday, 31st, May 2024
- Kickoff: 18:00 UTC +1 / 19.00 CEST
- Venue: Raatin stadion (Oulu)
HJK Helsinki will make the trip to face the struggling AC Oulu on Friday, seeking a victory that would catapult them to the top spots in the Finnish Veikkausliiga.
AC Oulu vs HJK Helsinki Betting Tips: HJK TO WIN
AC Oulu's quest for an inaugural win in this season's Veikkausliiga 2024 campaign extended to an incredible eight games after they came away empty-handed at Haka in a seven-goal thriller last time out.
While pondering what could have been if their leading scorer Ashley Coffe had been accurate from the penalty spot in the 90th minute, the scoreboard reveals that Laivastonsiniset ultimately had to accept their fourth loss of the term and third in the last five outings.
With a dismal haul of just four points from their opening eight top-tier fixtures, all as a result of four drawn outcomes, Rauno Ojane's men find themselves second-from-bottom and already hunches that a bottom-six finish will be inevitable, just as this has been the case in each of their last three seasons since being promoted in 2021.
If they haven't managed to come out on the winning side thus far, it's unlikely to happen on Friday as the arrival of the country's record champions brings little joy, especially considering they haven't been able to topple them in four consecutive H2H encounters and suffered a heavy 1-3 defeat the last time HJK visited Raatin stadion.
The 33-time champions of the "Land of a Thousand Lakes" have featured in Veikkausliiga action more frequently than any other side since the season began, with their ten top-tier outings yielding a respectable record of four wins and an equal number of draws, along with two losses, which currently sees HJK occupying the penultimate (fifth) spot in the blue zone.
In order to reignite their bid for a fourth consecutive crown in the Finnish top division, the Helsinki giants will need to urgently reclaim their killer instinct in front of goal, as their current tally of 15 goals scored leaves much to be desired, with one of their weaker offensive displays evident last Saturday when they barely salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw against Ilves.
With Friday's action marking the end of their first-half league campaign and trailing three points behind table-toppers KuPS with a game more, the club realizes that further dropped points could be detrimental to their title pursuit and will strive to significantly reduce slip-ups in the upcoming period. In light of that, HJK Helsinki will look to capitalize on AC Oulu's state of agony to get back on track with a sure win, drawing motivation from theri last season's 3-1 dismantling of the Navy Blues at this venue.
AC Oulu vs HJK Helsinki Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
AC Oulu
1 : 3
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
1 : 1
AC Oulu
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
2 : 1
AC Oulu
League Cup
-
AC Oulu
1 : 1
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
0 : 1
AC Oulu
Veikkausliiga
AC Oulu team news
Just back from injury, Aleksei Paananen lasted only 21 minutes as a starter before suffering another setback, indicating that his presence on Friday is highly unlikely
He quickly rejoined his long-absent colleagues, Alexander Forsstrom and Jowin Radzinski, in the recovery room, with the possibility that coach Rauno Ojanen might make one or two changes to the starting eleven.
Last matches of AC Oulu
-
Haka
4 : 3
AC Oulu
Veikkausliiga
-
AC Oulu
1 : 1
IFK Mariehamn
Veikkausliiga
-
AC Oulu
1 : 1
Gnistan
Veikkausliiga
-
GBK
0 : 3
AC Oulu
Finland Cup
-
FC Ilves
3 : 2
AC Oulu
Veikkausliiga
AC Oulu lineup
Goalkeeper
-
35
Calum Ward
Defenders
-
24
Yassin Daoussi
-
5
Jose Elo
-
2
Samuli Holtta
-
20
Juho Lehtiranta
Midfielders
-
18
Dimitrios Metaxas
-
8
Jere Kallinen
-
14
Niklas Jokelainen
Forwards
-
12
Justin Rennicks
-
9
Ashley Coffey
-
10
Danny Barrow
HJK Helsinki team news
Johannes Yli-Kokko, Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan, and David Ezeh were all absent from the squad for last week's clash with Ilves for reasons unknown, so their availability remains uncertain here.
Miska Ylitolva remains sidelined with a long-term injury, while Brooklyn Lyons-Foster and Michael Boamah will undergo assessments after being absent from the squad in their last two Veikkausliiga outings.
Additionally, HJK Helsinki might be without the services of their main goalkeeper Jesse Ost, who was forced off in the second half against Ilves due to injury, meaning Elmo Henriksson will step in between the posts in his absence.
Last matches of HJK Helsinki
-
HJK Helsinki
1 : 1
FC Ilves
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
1 : 0
Gnistan
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
1 : 2
VPS Vaasa
Veikkausliiga
-
Inter Turku
0 : 1
HJK Helsinki
Veikkausliiga
-
HJK Helsinki
0 : 0
EIF
Veikkausliiga
HJK Helsinki lineup
Goalkeeper
-
81
Elmo Henriksson
Defenders
-
45
Diogo Tomas
-
6
Aapo Halme
-
4
Joona Toivio
Midfielders
-
30
Noah Pallas
-
8
Georgios Kanellopoulos
-
10
Lucas Lingman
-
11
Anthony Olusanya
Forwards
-
18
Topi Keskinen
-
9
Luke Plange
-
17
Hassane Bande
4 Reasons why we expect HJK Helsinki to Win
- AC Oulu are still winless after the opening eight matches in Veikkausliiga (D4 L4).
- AC Oulu have conceded two or more goals in three of their last five league contests.
- HJK Helsinki defeated AC Oulu 3-1 in their latest visit to the Raati Stadium.
- HJK Helsinki have suffered just one defeat in their last nine matches.
Main prediction AC Oulu - HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki to win
Best Odds:
Additional predictions
Under 2.5
Best odds:2.25
BTTS - NO
Best odds:2.18