KuPS' defeat to AC Oulu 24 hours earlier meant the holders would fail to retain their crown, and wins for both means the Kuopio side will finish in third place in 2026. Owing to the goal difference, HJK need only to win on the final day, while Inter Turku will need to beat KuPS and hope HJK slip up against AC Oulu. Meanwhile, the loss for Gnistan ensured Oulu have qualified for the UEFA Conference League.
HJK went into tonight's matches with a goal difference 10 better than Inter Turku's, and they did their utmost to strengthen their position further by cruising to victory against VPS, who look set to finish the season in sixth place after no wins in their last four.
It took red-hot Mads Borchers less than six minutes to bundle the ball over the line following a goalmouth scramble and give HJK the lead with his 10th goal in six matches. Then, on his final away appearance, Teemu Pukki played the ball wide for Santeri Haarala, who cut inside and curled in a second with just over half an hour gone.
Before the break, a poor pass out from the VPS goalkeeper went straight to Kaius Simojoki, who selflessly squared to give Alfie Cicale a simple tap-in, and not 10 minutes after the restart, Haarala grabbed his second after running onto a long ball forward from Pyry Mentu and burying his finish.
It's now 10 league matches unbeaten for HJK, and a third win in a row against an Oulu side now with nothing to play for will almost certainly give them another league title.
Gnistan came close to giving their Helsinki rivals a huge helping hand, but Inter Turku did just enough to stay level on points with HJK, albeit they now need a better result against KuPS than HJK can manage against Oulu on the final day. Still four points behind Oulu, Gnistan have missed out on Europe.
Midway through the first half, Herman Sjogrell didn't catch his strike from the edge of the box very cleanly but still saw it nestle in the bottom corner to give the hosts a lead which lasted under 15 minutes, after Artur Atarah set up Ruxi to level for Gnistan.
FC Inter wer back in front through Jean Botue's 54th-minute effort, and that looked to be that until the final six minutes plus added time, which saw four goals. Luka Kuittinen's goal appeared to seal the points, but Gabriel Europaeus cut the gap back to one. The home side immediately responded through Muhammed Suso, before Rachide Gnanou scored to give Gnistan a fruitless final say in the 93rd minute.
Like HJK, Inter Turku will have the benefit of playing against a side with nothing to play for on the final day. Gnistan will play VPS on the final day knowing fifth is theirs if they avoid losing by five goals or more.
Follow the final day of the Veikkausliiga season on Flashscore.