Mikkelin Jukurit beat Vaasa 4-0 in the Liiiga on Friday, September 5th. The hosts had not won either of their opening two games before this match. Vaasa arrived with one victory and one defeat from their first two fixtures. The result ends a winless streak for the home side.
Jukurit took control early and did not let go. The visitors came for a cross they never reached in terms of sustained pressure. Three goals separated the sides by the final whistle, and the scoreline reflected the flow of the game. Vaasa were reduced to ten in spirit if not in numbers.
Recent form:
- Jukurit: 0-4 loss to KalPa, 1-4 to Hämeenlinna, 1-5 to SaiPa
- Vaasa: 3-6 loss to Pelicans, 5-4 win over Jokerit, 1-2 to TPS
Both teams had shown mixed results before this encounter. Jukurit had beaten Kiekko-Pojat Jyväskylä and Kukko in earlier matches, while Vaasa drew with Karpat. The confidence of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact. What matters is the result on the board.
The table remains unchanged at the top of the standings. Jukurit sit 17th with two games and zero points. Vaasa remain 11th, also on zero points after two matches. The gap in the table goes out of the window in these opening rounds.
Our prediction favoured the home side at 52 per cent confidence. It proved correct, though the margin was wider than expected. Jukurit have not won since their fourth match of the season, but this time they did not look back.