AC Oulu – VPS : Preview & Prediction
Oulu and VPS play at the Raatin stadion in a round 12 match of the Veikkausliiga. In the last meeting between these teams in this competition, on 02-04-2022, the final result was a draw by (2-2). The recent head-to-head record is favorable for the home team, which has 2 wins and 2 draws in the last 4 matches. Although this is a match between 4th and 8th in the overall standings, it is actually a match between the 5th ranked team in home games and the 3rd ranked team as a visitor.
After 5 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses, the home team is in 4th position, having gained 18 points. In their last match, they lost with KuPS away by (2-1), after in the previous match they won away in a match against HJK by (0-1). This is a stronger team in their stadium, where they have won 11 points, compared to only 7 in their away games. In their last 6 home league games, Oulu has recorded 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, taking 11 points from a possible 18. Their attack has been scoring with regularity, as they have scored goals in 9 of their last 10 games in this competition. The team doesn’t usually experience difficulties to open the scoring: they managed to score the first goal in 9 of their last 12 matches in the Veikkausliiga, of those 9 they reached the half-time lead in 5 and managed to keep the lead until the end of the 90′ in 5. In their last 8 home matches in all competitions there is 1 outstanding period: they conceded 3 of their 7 goals between the minutes (61′-75′).
AC Oulu comes into this round of the Veikkausliiga hoping to get another home win, to thus continue in a comfortable situation on the league table. In the last match, the team lost 3 points against the leader, away 2-1. The team is hoping for another win against VPS, currently in 8th place, which is 5 points behind in the standings. With 18 points from 5 wins, 4 losses and 3 draws in the 12 rounds played so far, AC Oulu is in 5th position in the Veikkausliiga 2022, and is now 11 points behind the current leader and 3 points away from the relegation zone. Oulu’s performance is surprising in that last year the team finished in the penultimate (11th) position, so that they had to play a play-off against the runner-up of the Ykkonen (Finland’s Second Division) for permanence in the Veikkausliiga. As they managed to win the play-off for a place in the Veikkausliiga this year, AC Oulu remained in the top flight of Finnish soccer and are now looking forward to perhaps even playing for the Veikkausliiga title this season.
After 4 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses, the away team is in 8th position, having gained 13 points. In their last match, they lost with Honka at home by (0-1), after in the previous match they won away in a game against HIFK by (1-5). Interestingly, this is a team that has achieved better results away than at home, as it has won 12 points as a visitor and only 1 in its stadium. In the league, VPS has taken 12 points out of a possible 18, after 4 wins and 2 losses in the last 6 games they played as visitors. Defensive solidity has not been their strong point, as they have conceded goals in 8 of their last 10 games, but their attack has scored with regularity, as they have scored goals in 7 of their last 10 games for this competition. In their away games there is a tendency to have goals, as 32 of their last 36 games have ended with More than 1.5 goals. In 11 games in this competition, they have never been able to turn the score around in the 6 games in which they have conceded the first goal.
Vaasan Palloseura comes into this match, away from home, with low morale for having lost at home to Honka, 0-1, and losing their momentum in the championship. Vaasan OS is in its first season in the Veikkausliiga (the Finnish First Division) since last falling to the Ykkonen (the Second Division), which occurred in 2019. However, despite the difficulties that the team is encountering in returning to perform at the highest level of national competitiveness, VPS is managing to star in a regular campaign so far: with 13 points collected (4 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses) in the 11 rounds played, it occupies the 8th position in the Veikkausliiga, having a 7-point lead over the last (12th) placed team. On the other hand, although VPS have achieved important results in some matches, especially away from home, they have not performed well against stronger opponents and will have a hard time against Oulu in this round (5th place). Vaasan PS has the third best away record in this competition, with 4 wins and 2 losses in 6 matches, and has the best attack in the competition away from home, with 18 goals scored in 6 away matches.
AC Oulu – VPS : Betting Tips
BTS/YES Odds: 2.25
