Veikkausliiga Survival Battle: AC Oulu Hosts Haka in Crucial Relegation Clash
A crucial Veikkausliiga survival battle is set to unfold in Oulu, as home side AC Oulu hosts Haka at Raatti Stadium. Both teams are closely matched in the league standings, facing immense pressure to avoid relegation, and the outcome of this match will directly impact their fate in the league.
Match Background & Qualification Scenarios
This clash between AC Oulu and Haka is of paramount importance for both teams' fortunes in the 2025 Veikkausliiga season. Currently, AC Oulu sits 11th in the league standings, averaging just 0.71 points per match with a record of 4 wins, 3 draws, and 14 losses from 21 games [18]. Their opponents, Haka, are slightly ahead in 10th place, having accumulated 0.76 points per match from 4 wins, 4 draws, and 13 losses in 21 outings [7]. This fixture is truly a 'six-pointer', where a victory will provide a crucial advantage in the relegation battle, while a defeat could see the losing side plunge deeper into the danger zone.
Recent Form
Both teams come into this match in poor form. AC Oulu has struggled in their last five Veikkausliiga matches, recording just 1 win and 4 losses. They recently suffered defeats against Gnistan (3-2), Ilves (0-4), Inter Turku (3-2), and Jaro (0-1), with their sole victory being a 1-0 away win against Mariehamn on July 26 [19, 11]. Haka's situation is even more dire, as they have lost all of their last five league matches, falling to SJK (3-2), HJK (2-1), Jaro (2-1), KuPS (3-2), and KTP (3-2) [20, 8]. Evidently, both teams are desperate for a victory to boost morale and turn their fortunes around.
Key Players & Injury News
For AC Oulu, all eyes will be on their key goal-scorers, including Niklas Jokelainen, Justin Rennicks, and Julius Körkkö, each with 4 goals in the 2025 Veikkausliiga season [18]. For Haka, Kalle Multanen and Jean-Pierre Da Sylva are joint top scorers with 5 goals each, while Simon Lindholm has contributed 4 goals, making them crucial to the team's attack [7]. As of now, there are no significant new injury concerns reported for either team [37, 38].