Preview: HJK Helsinki vs Coleraine - prediction, team news, lineups

HJK Helsinki and Coleraine will both kick off their European campaigns on Thursday, when they meet at the Bolt Arena in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League second-qualifying-round tie.

The two sides both enter qualifying in this stage with the visitors playing their first competitive football of the new season since the Charity Shield and their hosts in the midst of a domestic campaign.

Match preview

HJK Helsinki will begin their Conference League qualifying bid on Thursday with hopes of taking steps towards reaching the league phase, having fallen out at this stage last season after playing in the group stage or league phase of the Europa League or Conference League in each of the previous four years.

That streak was ended by Arda Kardzhali last time around, who saw the Finnish outfit off after extra time and a pair of draws in the two legs of the second qualifying round.

The Klubi have since earned a qualifying spot for a sixth straight year as, despite finishing fifth in the 2025 Veikkausliiga, they won the Finnish Cup for the 15th time in September, with Teemu Pukki scoring the only goal against KuPS.

Joonas Rantanen's team now find themselves in the midst of a disappointing 2026 domestic campaign in their bid to regain the title they last won in 2023, currently sitting fifth on 25 points from 16 matches, but they are on the back of a victory, having bounced back from consecutive league defeats with a 2-1 home triumph over VPS at the weekend thanks to Santeri Haarala's opener and Pukki's goal to put them back ahead.

Now turning their attention to their European exploits, HJK Helsinki will look to get going in their second-round tie with a win to make the most of home advantage and stake their claim for a spot in the next stage before travelling for next week's second leg.

Their visitors, meanwhile, also enter qualifying at this stage in search of a first European win since the playoff round of 2020-21 Europa League qualifying.

Coleraine's most recent continental term came the following season and was quickly ended in the first round of Conference League qualifying by Velez Mostar.

They sealed a return by finishing second in the NIFL Premiership last time around, though, winning every game in the Championship group to climb into a top-two finish and end on 80 points from 38 games - just three behind Larne in their long bid to win a first top-flight title since 1974, while winning the Irish Cup - defeating Dungannon Swifts 3-2 in the final.

Now returning to competitive action on the back of a Charity Shield penalty shootout loss to Larne and a successful pre-season including five straight wins, Coleraine will look to make a statement in Thursday's away leg in Finland before deciding their second-round tie on home soil next week.

HJK Helsinki form (all competitions):

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Coleraine form (all competitions):

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Team News

HJK Helsinki were without defender Ville Tikkanen for their last two league games through suspension, but he is back in contention with that only applying to domestic games.

David Ezeh and Eemil Toivonen are set to remain out of action through injuries, though.

Veteran striker Teemu Pukki, who returned to the club last year after 14 years away, may return to the starting XI up front, having managed 10 goals in all competitions this season including five alongside four assists in 16 league games, five of which have come off the bench.

There is a chance for brothers to meet, with HJK centre-back Brooklyn Lyons-Foster and Coleraine's Kodi Lyons-Foster both looking to start.

Matthew Shevlin will remain their star man up front and lead the Coleraine line, having racked up 28 goals in 41 games in all competitions last time around including a brace in the Irish Cup final.

HJK Helsinki possible starting lineup:

Markovic; Simojoki, Tikkanen, Cissokho, Montano; Ring, Kallinen; Moller, Haarala, Mero; Pukki

Coleraine possible starting lineup:

Webb; Kane, Stewart, Doherty, Jarvis; Boyle, McDonald; McGregor, Devlin, Henderson; Shevlin

We say: HJK Helsinki 3-1 Coleraine

While Coleraine certainly have the tools to hurt any opposition and give a strong account of themselves, this qualifying tie, and the away leg in particular, may be one step too far, and we see the Finnish hosts' superior quality and experience on the continental stage shining through.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.