In a dramatic Finnish Ykkonen match on 16 May 2026, PEPO Lappeenranta came from behind to defeat Puiu 2-1 on the road. The win lifts PEPO into the top half of the table, while Puiu remain deep in relegation trouble.

Match Overview

Puiu started brightly and took a deserved lead in the first half, but PEPO grew into the game after the break. A moment of individual brilliance and a fortunate deflection turned the match around, leaving the home fans disappointed.

Key Moments

• 29’ – GOAL! Puiu’s top scorer, Sami Rautiainen, latched onto a loose ball in the box and fired home.
• 51’ – PEPO equalised. A sweeping move ended with Ville Hämäläinen sliding in at the far post.
• 67’ – GOAL! PEPO went ahead when a speculative shot by Mikael Aalto took a huge deflection off a defender and looped over the goalkeeper.
• 83’ – Puiu had a goal disallowed for offside after a VAR check (in Ykkonen’s experiment).

Tactical Battle

Puiu tried to control the midfield with a 4‑3‑3 but were overrun after the break. PEPO’s 4‑2‑3‑1 allowed them to press higher and win second balls, and their wingers caused constant problems. The introduction of substitute winger Aleksi Partanen in the second half changed the game.

Standout Players

Ville Hämäläinen was the difference maker for PEPO, scoring the equaliser and causing havoc with his runs. For Puiu, Sami Rautiainen continued his fine form but lacked service in the second half.

Table Impact

PEPO Lappeenranta climb to seventh place with 14 points from nine games. Puiu stay 11th, second-last, four points from safety.