Our prediction for this Finland Veikkausliiga match:
Buoyed by a 3-2 win over Lahti, Ilves will look to give fans yet another reason for celebration when they take on HIFK at their Ratina Stadion. Ilves have been impressive on home soil of late, with the team eyeing their fifth consecutive triumph in front of home fans, and it is no wonder the bookie see them as favourites to pick up all three points from Wednesday’s clash.
A man to watch in the home team will be experienced midfielder Petteri Pennanen, who scored a brace against Lahti, while head coach Toni Kallio will watch the game from the stands due to suspension. HIFK, on the other hand, are stuck at the bottom of the table with only three points in their pocket. Given their shaky defence, we do not believe that the rock-bottom side will grab something from the midweek fixture. Mixu Paatelainen could opt to make changes to the team that suffered a 5-1 loss to VPS, with both Puro and Kujanpaa pushing for a start.