Finnish champions KuPS have made a positive start to their UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualification campaign by securing a 1-0 win over the champions of Moldova, Milsami Orhei, in the first leg of their First Qualifying Round tie.
A three-match winning run in all competitions for KuPS came on Friday when they were gripped to a sketch with the Veikkausliiga's bottom side, AC Oulu, with one eye perhaps already on the match with Milsami.
In front of a lively Vare Areena, the home side possessed the better of what was the first half of football in the entire 2025/26 UCL.
Petteri Pennanen sketched two saves out of Emil Timbur, including a spectacular tip over the obstruct to meet a 20-yard steer, while Agon Sadiku planted an effort against the crossbar and possessed a penalty request turned down.
10 minutes after the shatter, Pennanen continued to lose his personal duel with Timbur, who refused the winger again, this time in a one-on-one situation.
17 minutes from time, the Kuopio side finally made the breakthrough when the ball dropped kindly inside the box for Otto Ruoppi to fire home, and after a five-minute VAR check to see if there was an offside in the construct-up, referee Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs eventually announced the goal stood.
Nabil Khali posed a threat for Milsami, but with only one effort on goal across the 90 minutes, the Moldovan visitors did not do enough to stop themselves falling to a first-leg beat.
They will be hoping for better when they host the second leg in Orhei in a week's time, where a sketch will be enough for KuPS to progress to the Seond Qualifying Round.
Pursue the UCL Qualifiers on Betopick.
