Oulu the surprise pacesetters as HJK win the Helsinki derby with Pukki brace

[p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/gnistan-Aa28K98n/hjk-nmjJVR7B/?mid=0K8bDapK"]Gnistan 0-3 HJK[/a][/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hjk/nmjJVR7B/"]HJK[/a] fell to two defeats and picked up just four points in last season's four Helsinki derbies, but after a Liiga Cup victory in February, they showed they are still top dogs in the capital with a 3-0 success at Mustapekka Areena.[/p][p]The key moment came just before half-time, when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lingman-lucas/fJpmBpJb/"]Lucas Lingman[/a] delivered for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pukki-teemu/SxeXIHNo/"]Teemu Pukki[/a] to score his second of the campaign[/b]. Seven minutes after the restart, the veteran striker proved he stay has some pace, as [b]he chased a long [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/david-ezeh/xYebmIDA/"]David Ezeh[/a] clearance, rounded the goalkeeper and completed his brace.[/b][/p][embed guid="afa6e2f4-d082-4ff4-a4e3-ff555898f426" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2045478117649572105" social-type="twitter" /][p]With 11 minutes to go, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bogicevic-mihailo/086kTlSS/"]Mihailo Bogicevic[/a] scored his first goal for the club[/b] to wrap up a comfortable win - HJK's second this season as they bounced back from their loss at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-oulu/Y35Jer59/"]AC Oulu[/a] last time, while Gnistan are still without a point.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/jaro-faEPan8O/kups-nLBbqJDS/?mid=W2aU7w8s"]Jaro 1-1 KuPS[/a][/b][/p][p]Champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kups/nLBbqJDS/"]KuPS[/a] dropped points for the first time this season as they grabbed a late equaliser to draw at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jaro/faEPan8O/"]Jaro[/a], who have now played out back-to-back stalemates but are still awaiting their first win.[/p][p]Jaro thought they were on for an upset after the referee spotted a handball in the box and[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vikstrom-rudi/ShgrGvif/"]Rudi Vikstrom[/a] sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot[/b] after 40 minutes.[/p][p]But the home side were denied in the 90th minute, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pennanen-petteri/dGM43Ult/"]Petteri Pennanen[/a] found [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moreno-jaime/SnTwttL9/"]Jaime Moreno[/a], who slotted in his third of the season[/b] to share the spoils.[/p][embed guid="b8d520e1-6244-44a1-af29-9f9371ab9c4b" url="https://x.com/KuPS1923/status/2045518606696349709" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ac-oulu-Y35Jer59/vps-8GveH5dA/?mid=Kp7n2ZyJ"]AC Oulu 1-0 VPS[/a][/b][/p][p]Top of the standings as the only side with nine points from nine are the surprise package AC Oulu, though they needed a big decision to go their way midway through the second half, when M[b]artti Haukioja was shown a straight red card for pulling back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korkko-julius/M3Az5iLk/"]Julius Korkko[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="d4dbab90-d2d8-4b21-bb77-47a75598140c" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2045529974879207621" social-type="twitter" /][p]Just seven minutes later, Oulu made their man advantage count when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendolin-iiro/lW92T3Wh/"]Iiro Mendolin[/a]'s low shot from the edge of the area went all the way through[/b] to give the home side another win, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vps/8GveH5dA/"]VPS[/a] - who finished with nine men as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ogunniyi-oluwaseyi/OrNfPehd/"]Oluwaseyi Ogunniyi[/a] was sent off in added time - remain on two points following a first defeat of 2026.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/sjk-hj3ima3I/tps-dM4FE3tT/?mid=0rio4e76"]TPS 2-0 SJK[/a][/b][/p][p]The only challenger to Oulu for best start of the season is [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps/dM4FE3tT/"]TPS[/a], as the newly-promoted side moved onto seven points from three matches with a home victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sjk/hj3ima3I/"]SJK[/a].[/p][p]Midway through the first half,[b] a deep cross was nodded back across goal by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/turkki-eetu/4KaPQBQR/"]Eetu Turkki[/a] for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muzaci-albijon/AmxoXGqd/"]Albijon Muzaci[/a] to volley in from close range, and the Kosovar forward made it a brace for himself early in the second half[/b] to settle a second win in a row, while SJK have lost both away encounters this season.[/p][embed guid="040fe731-da3f-45c4-994c-b1b96ff89b24" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2045527253694419420" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ilves-pYGmWmwa/mariehamn-C8bOhcyj/?mid=pQNc9jqn"]Mariehamn 2-2 Ilves[/a][/b][/p][p]An entertaining game on Aland saw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mariehamn/C8bOhcyj/"]Mariehamn[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ilves/pYGmWmwa/"]Ilves[/a] take a point each, while both are among the five sides still to win this season.[/p][p]The visitors went ahead midway through the first half when [b]a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kilo-jesse/jspGzih1/"]Jesse Kilo[/a] cutback was guided in by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tiitinen-otto/p2VAEjmI/"]Otto Tiitinen[/a][/b], but the home side drew level on the stroke of half-time when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/patut-emmanuel/IN3m4j0f/"]Emmanuel Patut[/a] lashed home a volley from a corner.[/b][/p][embed guid="0dbf4a46-5404-4875-b0a8-d6d331b0eb19" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2045550082846515399" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Patut turned provider for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dahlstrom-sebastian/v1J8DRjc/"]Sebastian Dahlstrom[/a] to turn the match on its head[/b] 10 minutes into the second half, but Mariehamn were only ahead for eight minutes, as [b]Kilo registered his second assist of the game by teeing up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hytonen-teemu/S0H1AjT1/"]Teemu Hytonen[/a][/b] to draw the Tampere side level.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/inter-turku-QwkNUoNH/lahti-pn1BFqRM/?mid=SUhw6Hxf"]Lahti 0-2 Inter Turku[/a][/b][/p][p]Following an opening day win, it's back-to-back losses for newly-promoted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lahti/pn1BFqRM/"]Lahti[/a], who went down at home to unbeaten [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-turku/QwkNUoNH/"]Inter Turku[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/conteh-alie/xryT2cjo/"]Alie Conteh[/a] missed the chance to break the deadlock after an hour when he failed to convert a penalty, but just five minutes later FC Inter went ahead from another set piece, [b]as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yli-kokko-johannes/MsnclSag/"]Johannes Yli-Kokko[/a] curled a free-kick past the rooted goalkeeper.[/b][/p][embed guid="ccbd7def-4436-4b01-9b71-11550610ca32" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2045532033867194821" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/niska-jussi/E12ndFOg/"]Jussi Niska[/a] wrapped up the points[/b] deep into added time, as the Turku side secured consecutive victories.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/finland/veikkausliiga/"]Follow the 2026 Veikkausliiga campaign on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]