Derry City v KuPS: Match Preview

 

Derry City FC vs. Kuopion Palloseura, UEFA Europa Conference League Second Round First Leg, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Thursday 27^th July, kick-off 7.45pm

 

Derry City’s UEFA Europa Conference League second round clash with Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) on Thursday will see the Candystripes face Finnish opposition for the first time in the club’s history. A capacity crowd at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium cheered City to a 1-0 win over Havnar Boltfelag Tórshavn in the second leg of the first round last week, with Sadou Diallo’s 22^nd minute header the decider in a cagey, two-legged affair. That win marked Derry’s first European victory since 2018, when an Ally Roy double was enough to defeat Dinamo Minsk, but ultimately wasn’t sufficient as the Belarussians progressed on aggregate. It was back in 2014 when the Foyleside club last progressed into the second round of UEFA competition. A 9-0 aggregate demolition of Welsh side Aberystwyth Town saw Derry face Shakhtyor Soligorsk in the second qualifying round of the Europa League that year, before slumping to a 6-1 defeat over both legs. City’s only goal of that tie was scored by Michael Duffy, only nineteen at the time, and now in his second spell at the club, will be aiming to fire Derry to a historic victory this time round. Both Patrick and Shane McEleney started in Belarus in 2014 and will be hoping to do so again on Thursday following stellar performances in the 3-0 win against Athlone Town at the weekend, which saw Derry begin their FAI Cup defence on the right foot.

 

That win against Athlone Town means that Derry City are five games unbeaten going into Thursday’s first leg in the Brandywell, but the same cannot be said for KuPS, who have recorded just one win from their last five. That run, which followed a five game winning streak, saw the ‘Keltamusta’ drop to second in the Veikkausliiga table and bow out of the Suomen Cup in the quarterfinal, losing on penalties to IFK Mairehamn. Jani Honkavaara’s men will be out to prove a point, as it was their victory in the final of last year’s Suomen Cup which earned them a spot in the Second Round of Europa Conference League qualifying. KuPS are no stranger to European knockout football either, progressing to the Playoff Round of the Europa League in 2020-21 before losing to CFR Cluj, and in 2021-22 where Union Berlin denied them a place in the Conference League group stages. Therefore, a result for Derry City, who are the first Irish side to face KuPS in European competition, will be no mean feat.

 

There is a (slight) link between the two clubs, however. Former Derry City and Northern Ireland U21 midfielder Jake Dunwoody, who joined the Candystripes in the summer of 2020, signed for Helsinki outfit IFK Helsingfors from City before the 2021 season and had switched to SJK before the year was out. He provided the assist for the only goal of the game the last time SJK met KuPS in the Veikkausliiga, and his side currently sit one point above KuPS at the summit of the Finnish top flight. Dunwoody’s first start for Derry City came on the European stage, in a Europa League qualifier against FK Riteriai, which saw the Candystripes lose 3-2 after extra time in the single-legged tie against the team from Vilnius.

 

One KuPS player in particular to keep an eye on is Finnish international midfielder Urho Nissilä. The 27 year old, who has 12 caps for his country, has experience playing in South Korea, Belgium and the Netherlands, and earned a move of nearly €250k at the age of 22 to Zulte Waregem. A watch of his highlights will show a talented midfielder, capable of scoring from distance and providing a real threat from set pieces. With 6 goals and 2 assists in 13 league appearances this season, he may prove to be a handful for Derry’s defence. Nissilä tends to play on the left of a midfield three in Honkavaara’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, which the manager hasn’t deviated from since a 1-0 defeat to Honka in April when he deployed a 3-5-2, according to Transfermarkt.

 

It will be interesting to see if Ruaidhrí Higgins deploys a more defensive formation for the earlier stages of the first leg, as he did away to HB Tórshavn two weeks ago, in an attempt to quell any early attacking threat. The Limavady man will, I suspect, start with his usual 4-2-3-1 formation in order to capitalise on his side’s home advantage. This more attacking set-up worked last time out against the Faroes, whereas Derry struggled to fashion many meaningful chances prior to the change of shape and introduction of Will Patching and Jamie McGonigle half-way through the first leg.

 

KuPS are, on paper, favourites to progress. Their previous European escapades, coupled with the international pedigree of key players like Urho Nissilä and striker Jasse Tuominen, means the Finnish side will fancy their chances. Derry City can, however, look toward Faroese side KÍ Klaksvik for inspiration following their 3-0 win to shock Hungarian champions Ferencváros last week in the UEFA Champions League first round. Moreover, the fact that Larne took HJK Helsinki, whom KuPS sit just one point above in the Veikkausliiga, to extra time in their first ever Champions League tie may also give the Candystripes faithful hope.

 

The Third Round offers not just a lucrative prize pot, but another double-header against the winner of Basel and Tobol Kostanay. The former narrowly losing 4-3 to Fiorentina in the semi-final of the Europa Conference League last season, whilst the latter currently sit fifth in the Kazakh Premier League and bowed out of Europe in the third round last time out. With tickets for the game selling fast, expect the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium to be rocking once again on Thursday evening as the Candystripes begin their hunt for qualification to the third round of UEFA competition for the first time since 2009.

 

Pól O’Hare