Greg . 2 days ago

Veikkausliiga review: Draw keeps Gnistan on top in race for Championship Round

Gnistan are still the team to catch in the three-horse race for the final place in the Championship Round of the Veikkausliiga, after they drew 0-0 with VPS in a six-pointer in the race for sixth place.

With five of the six places in the Championship Round secured, the big question still to be answered in the 2025 Veikkausliiga season is which of three contenders were going to finish sixth and take the final place.

A win at home tonight would have made Gnistan the strong favourites and taken them five points clear of Jaro and six clear of VPS.

However, a goalless draw in Helsinki sees the Vaasa side climb a place to seventh - overtaking Jaro on goal difference - and staying three points shy of the hosts.

Despite dropping a place to eighth, Jaro are arguably the big winners tonight, as they stayed in contention and now have a game in hand over their two rivals.

 Seven points off sixth, Mariehamn are not out of the race either, but would need a serious upturn in form and for plenty of other results to go their way.

In the match, Gnistan carved out the majority of the opportunities and had the ball in the net in first-half stoppage time when Rachide Gnanou bundled the ball over the line following a set piece, only for the referee to rule the goal out for a foul in the build-up.

Gnanou had the home side's best opportunity after the break, too, as he met Roman Eremenko's accurate cross, but his downward header struck the post, before VPS goalkeeper Rasmus Leislahti pounced on Juhani Ojala's rebound.

The 0-0 draw at least extends Gnistan's unbeaten run to three matches, while it's almost now-or-never time for VPS to get a win - they have recorded zero in their last 10 games, though they have drawn four of their last five.

Jaro will have the opportunity to draw level with Gnistan on 25 points when they take on SJK on Monday.

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