Sabah FK host KuPS at the Bank Respublika Arena on 21 July 2026 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie, the clubs meeting for the first time in their history. Sabah come in as Azerbaijan Premier League champions and Cup winners after a dominant 2025-26 domestic season, while KuPS arrive as Veikkausliiga leaders on 33 points from 16 matches with a goal difference of +14. The winner advances to the third qualifying round, with the loser potentially dropping into the Europa League or Conference League and KuPS have enough European experience to leave the tie open heading to Kuopio on 28 July.
Valdas Dambrauskas took charge of Sabah in mid 2025 on a three year deal, bringing experience from Ludogorets, Omonia and Hajduk Split and runs a 4-2-3-1 built around organisation and attacking transitions. Miika Nuutinen took over KuPS on 1 January 2026 after replacing Jarkko Wiss, having previously worked with HJK and his setups prioritise defensive balance and set piece efficiency, with the two managers meeting on a European stage for the first time.
Sabah carry strong domestic momentum into this tie, having secured the league and Cup double under Dambrauskas, while KuPS have been equally consistent in the Veikkausliiga, winning 9 of their 16 matches. No major injury or suspension concerns have been reported for either side. Sabah are expected to line up in their usual 4-2-3-1 with Steve Solvet anchoring the defence and Ivan Lepinjica alongside Umarali Rakhmonaliev in midfield. KuPS should have Johannes Kreidl in goal behind a back line of Kasim Adams (or Nuhu), Clinton Antwi and Arttu Lötjönen, with Petteri Pennanen, Saku Heiskanen and Jerry Voutilainen in the middle and Jaime Moreno, Gustav Engvall, Arttu Heinonen and Calvin Kabuye as the attacking options.
Dambrauskas has Sabah set up to stay compact defensively and look for opportunities in transition. Moreno and Engvall will be the sharpest attacking test KuPS can offer and how Solvet and the Sabah centre-backs handle that pair will be the defining defensive matchup of the evening, while the battle between Sabah's double pivot and the Pennanen-Heiskanen partnership will control how quickly the game moves. KuPS under Nuutinen blend possession retention with counter attacking efficiency and lean heavily on set pieces, with set piece delivery one of their primary routes to goal - a threat worth monitoring if the match stays tight.
The Veikkausliiga runs until November, so KuPS are managing a comparatively light domestic schedule at this stage, though whether that translates to sharpness over 90 minutes against a side preparing specifically for this tie is harder to call.
The most likely outcome is 1-1. KuPS are defensively well organised and experienced enough in Europe to pick up something from the first leg and neither side is built to chase games recklessly, making a first leg that ends level and forces the decision in Finland the most plausible result.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
