Kuopion Palloseura welcome Sabah FK to Väre Areena on Tuesday for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. Sabah holds a 1-0 aggregate lead after Veljko Simic scored in first-half stoppage time of the first leg in Baku on 21 July.
KuPS, the Finnish champions, reached this round by defeating Vardar 4-3 on aggregate in extra time during the first qualifying round. The team leads the Veikkausliiga after a 3-1 win over VPS on 25 July, according to Sky Sports and Sports Mole.
Sabah FK, first-time Azerbaijani champions after winning the 2025-26 Premier League title, advanced from the first qualifying round by beating The New Saints 4-1 on aggregate. The side outshot KuPS 18 to 5 in the first leg, per Sports Mole’s match analysis.
KuPS must score at least once to force extra time, and at least twice to win in regulation. The home side has been strong at Väre Areena this season but will be without long-term absentees Samuel Pasanen and Jerry Voutilainen, as noted in Sports Mole’s preview.
The market assigns a low probability to the match total exceeding 2.5 goals, reflecting the tight first-leg scoreline and the expectation of a cautious second leg. The final score in regular play, confirmed on uefa.com, will determine the outcome.
