HJK vs Jaro: can HJK close the gap on the league leaders?
In the Finnish Veikkausliiga championship, HJK will host Jaro on their home turf. The match is set for Wednesday, July 2, at 17:00 Central European Time. Here’s my betting preview for this clash.
HJK vs Jaro: match facts and head-to-head
- HJK have suffered just one defeat in their last ten matches.
- The team is unbeaten at home in six straight games: five wins and one draw.
- Jaro have lost two of their last three away matches.
- HJK boast the second-best attack in the Veikkausliiga with 28 goals.
- Both teams have lost 19% of their matches to nil this season.
- HJK have kept more clean-sheet wins—31% of matches compared to Jaro’s 25%.
- Jaro have the league’s weakest attack—just 12 goals in 12 matches.
- In the previous head-to-head, HJK thrashed Jaro 3-0. Jaro’s last win over HJK came back in 2011.
HJK vs Jaro: match preview
Over the last five Veikkausliiga seasons, HJK have claimed the title four times and are once again among the frontrunners this year. The campaign is far from over, but HJK’s prospects look strong. The team has lost only once in their last ten games—ironically in the previous round against current leaders KuPS, falling 0-3. After 13 matches, HJK have 23 points, just three behind the leaders, with a seven-point buffer over seventh place.
Jaro sit in the lower half of the table, fighting to break into the championship group. That task looks tough given their inconsistent form—three wins and three losses in their last six outings. After 12 rounds, Jaro have 11 points and are in tenth place, seven points adrift of sixth. While not fatal, they’ll need to string together results to close the gap. The main problem for Jaro is their lackluster attack: just 12 goals in 12 games, the league’s worst tally.
Probable line-ups
- HJK: Niihöys, Simojoki, Antzulas, Lyons-Foster, Tikkanen, Ring, Kanellopoulos, Kallinen, Hostikka, Michell, Pukki
- Jaro: Miguel Santos, Ramsey, Bjornbek, Valencic, Eremenko, Ogunbaro, Videskog, Mirevik, Bjorkskog, Kehkonen, Sissoko
Prediction
HJK are clear favorites and have been consistently strong at home. They’re up against one of the league’s strugglers, and after last round’s defeat, the hosts will be eager to bounce back. I’m backing HJK’s individual total over 2 goals at odds of 1.49.
