HPS Women 3-3 HJK Helsinki Women: A wild Helsinki derby serves up six goals and a share of the spoils in the Kansallinen Liiga.

HPS Women and HJK Helsinki Women played out a breathless 3-3 draw on August 22, 2026, in a Finnish Kansallinen Liiga encounter that had everything: end-to-end attacks, defensive lapses, individual quality, and late drama. The result keeps both teams tightly locked in the upper-midtable picture and adds another memorable chapter to one of the capital region's most competitive rivalries.

Match overview

From the opening whistle, the derby's intensity was clear. HPS started brightly, using the width of their attack to stretch HJK's back line, but the visitors looked dangerous on the counter. By the final whistle, both sides had created enough chances to win, yet had to settle for a point after a match that swung one way and then the other.

Key moments

• HPS struck first with a well-worked move down the right, finishing calmly past the HJK keeper inside 20 minutes.
• HJK replied before halftime, converting a rebound after a powerful strike was parried into the danger zone.
• The visitors then took the lead early in the second half with a close-range header from a corner, putting HPS under pressure.
• HPS turned the game around with two quick goals, the second a stunning long-range effort that flew into the top corner.
• HJK salvaged the draw late on, profiting from a defensive mix-up to poke home from six yards.

Tactical story

HPS set up to dominate possession and press high, and their midfield trio frequently won the ball in advanced areas. However, HJK's direct transition play and willingness to run behind the full-backs repeatedly exposed space in HPS's high line. The back-and-forth nature of the scoreline reflected the tactical battle: one team enjoying long spells of control, the other making every breakaway count.

Standout players

HPS's attacking midfielder was the standout performer, contributing a goal and an assist while dictating the tempo between the lines. For HJK, their left winger caused constant problems with pace and dribbling, and her movement created the equalizer in the closing stages. Both goalkeepers made fine saves but were left exposed too often by stretched defenses.

Table impact

The draw leaves both clubs level on points in the Kansallinen Liiga standings, with HJK holding a slight edge on goal difference. HPS will feel they dropped two points after regaining the lead late on, while HJK will be satisfied with a resilient comeback. With the season heading into its decisive stretch, every point matters in the race for European qualification and the upper playoff places.