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IFK Helsinki U20 5-2 TPS U20: HIFK juniors wrap up pre-season with emphatic win
Match report: IFK Helsinki U20 5-2 TPS U20 in a pre-season friendly on 27 August 2026 at Töölö 2, Helsinki. HIFK juniors complete double over TPS with dominant display.
IFK Helsinki U20 closed their pre-season preparations with a convincing 5-2 victory over TPS U20 at Töölö 2 in Helsinki on Thursday, making it two friendly wins over their Turku-based rivals inside three weeks.
The result followed HIFK's 4-3 away win against the same opponent on 7 August, giving the Helsinki side a clean sweep of the pre-season double-header.
How it unfolded
Hosts IFK Helsinki U20 took control early and built a multi-goal lead before TPS responded. The home side struck twice in quick succession during the opening period to establish a cushion they never surrendered. TPS pulled one back but IFK restored their two-goal advantage before the first intermission.
The second period followed a similar pattern: HIFK extended the lead further, TPS replied, but the home side always held a comfortable buffer. By the third period the pace eased, with both sides making full use of their benches in a game that functioned as a final tune-up before the U20 SM-sarja season.
Detailed period scores and goal-scorers were not published by either club at the time of writing, a common occurrence in U20 pre-season friendlies.
Pre-season form context
TPS U20 entered the match with mixed results from their pre-season campaign. After a 1-4 loss to Lukko U20 on 6 August and a 3-4 shootout defeat to HIFK's Liiga squad on 7 August, they bounced back with three straight wins: 6-3 over Sport U20, 5-3 against Ässät U20 and a 4-3 shootout victory over Lukko U20 — all at neutral-site Rauma. Their game against K-Espoo U20 on 21 August was not reported as played.
IFK Helsinki U20, for their part, had beaten TPS 4-3 away on 7 August in their only publicly recorded pre-season fixture before this match.
Head-to-head dominance
The historical record heavily favours IFK Helsinki U20 at this level. Across 33 previous meetings in all competitions, HIFK have won 18, TPS 15. When playing at home against TPS, IFK have won all 18 matches — a perfect record stretching back several seasons, according to head-to-head data.
What it means
For IFK Helsinki U20, the result caps a perfect pre-season and builds momentum heading into the U20 SM-sarja season, which begins in early September. Their next scheduled competitive fixture is away to SaiPa U20 on 25 November in the league.
TPS U20 will look to reset ahead of their SM-sarja opener. Their next pre-season match is at home against Kiekko-Espoo U20 on 28 August, followed by the league campaign starting in September.
Verdict
A straightforward pre-season win for HIFK U20, who controlled the game from start to finish against a TPS side that showed fight but lacked the finishing edge. The 5-2 scoreline fairly reflected the balance of play. With two wins over TPS in August and a perfect home record in the fixture, IFK enter the season with genuine confidence.