KuPS extended their winning streak across all competitions on Friday, although they were held to a draw by the bottom team in the Veikkausliiga, AC Oulu, possibly already focusing on the upcoming match against Milsami.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd at Vare Areena, the home team dominated what was the first half of football in the entire 2025/26 UCL.
Petteri Pennanen forced two saves from Emil Timbur, including a stunning save over the bar from a 20-yard shot, while Agon Sadiku hit the crossbar and had a penalty shout denied.
Ten minutes after the break, Pennanen continued to struggle against Timbur, who thwarted the winger once more, this time in a one-on-one situation.
Seventeen minutes before the end, the Kuopio team finally broke through when the ball landed favorably in the box for Otto Ruoppi to score, and following a five-minute VAR review to check for offside in the buildup, referee Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs ultimately confirmed the goal.
Nabil Khali posed a threat for Milsami, but with just one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, the Moldovan visitors did not do enough to avoid a first-leg defeat.
They will be looking for improvement when they host the second leg in Orhei in a week's time, where a draw will suffice for KuPS to progress to the Second Qualifying Round.
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