Ilves vs FC Inter Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

When Ilves re-found their form with a couple of 2-0 wins in May they would’ve been hoping to make a play for the European places, though Jarkko Wiss’ men failed to keep their form going and instead failed to win four on the bounce. After regaining the winning thread last time out, the hosts, who’re now just three points shy of the third and final Europa League place, will now be hoping to put together a run of form that sees them charge towards the top three.

In contrast, Inter, who’re seven points behind Saturday’s hosts, probably don’t have too many hopes of reaching the European spots. Instead, the visitors will simply be looking to get themselves off the winless path after three matches without claiming three points.

Though they have only recently regained the winning thread, Ilves’ home form is very impressive indeed. Offensively, they’ve not been the best, though they’ve been very sharp at the other end of proceedings. Playing against an Inter Turku team who’ve conceded plenty of goals on the road means that the hosts ought to have few problems in the final third, while, if recent form is anything to go by, they may not have too many issues in the defensive areas.

Since conceding a single goal in each of their opening two home matches this season, Ilves have become tough to breach. Saturday’s hosts arrive at this juncture having kept a clean sheet in each of their last five matches on their own patch. During that time Jarkko Wiss’ side have kept out each of the current top three, so defending well against a side who’re currently some way off that level isn’t likely to be too difficult.

With just three goals in their last five at home, and just six in seven at Tammelan Stadion this season, the hosts are far from the best attacking team in the Veikkausliga, though if they can continue to keep things tight, they aren’t likely to go without scoring opportunities against a visiting side that has conceded more goals away from home than any other team in the entire division during the current campaign.

Defending has been a real issue for Inter this season and it is once again likely to be their downfall in this fixture. The visitors will arrive at Tammelan Stadion having conceded at least once in all but one of their eight away matches this season. In six of those they’ve conceded at least twice. Such defensive form doesn’t exactly bode well.

All things considered, the defensive qualities of the hosts combined with the defensive frailties of the visitors makes it difficult to go with anything other than a home win. Despite struggling to break teams down at times, the defensively astute Ilves are fancied to have enough about them to edge past a weak Inter Turku side. ‘Ilves to Win & Under 3.5 Goals’, gets the nod at the prices.