Ilves 1 - 1 Inut (385509333)

25820 spectators arrived at Jean Sibelius Stadium, where weather conditions were pretty good for football. Robert Mal was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Timon Rohman and Oiva Peltoniemi. Ilves had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Lülsdorff - Topaç, Pulikowski, Quattrucci - Alakangas, Kaseva, Aarli, Mokijewski, Salvador - Holmstén, Brito.

Inut decided to use a 3-4-3 set up. The following players took the field: Jovanović - Kormány, Grave, Leeuwenburgh - Tomczykowski, Marco, Heien, Killskär - Cavicchia, Vidal, Bright.

With 29 minutes played F. Salvador almost put the home team one ahead on a cross coming in from the right, but the shot went just wide. Inut caught their opponents out with a clever counterattack down the right wing 30 minutes into the match. A. Leeuwenburgh was able to finish off the move - 0 - 1. Ilves's A. Brito made a successful breakthrough on the left after 34 minutes and should have levelled the score, but instead he clipped it over the bar. Some fine passing in the middle of the pitch, carving open the away defence, should have led to a goal for Ilves, but V. Alakangas's shot went over the bar. Ilves's V. Alakangas got himself booked for a foul. Halftime score was 0 - 1. Possession in this half belonged to Ilves, who controlled the ball 57 percent of the time.

With 66 minutes played, the Ilves coach decided a substitution may help turn the game around. H. Bergholt came on, H. Holmstén had to leave the fray. With 71 minutes played, after a good run down the left, V. Alakangas went down looking for a penalty after a challenge from the visitors' right fullback, but the referee waved play on, and later warned him for diving. Ilves's T. Lülsdorff left the field after 76 minutes because of a nasty blow to the shin. His replacement was S. Braskén. Ilves needed a fresh pair of legs on the field, and after 79 minutes S. Pulikowski made way for Y. Velchev. 81 minutes into the match, Ilves's H. Bergholt maneuvered his way around the opposition on the left flank, delighting the crowd with his twists and turns. The effort paid off as the ball found the back of the net, evening the score at 1 - 1. Slack defending gave Ilves a chance to take the lead with 83 minutes played, but F. Mokijewski's cross from the left flank was fumbled in front of the goal and easily dealt with by the opposition. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Ilves, with 57 percent of the ball.

Ilves's best player was A. Brito. S. Braskén was a disappointment, however. Most important Inut player was M. Bright. On the other hand, P. Killskär's play was disheartening. The match ends 1 - 1.