How it happened
Mads Borchers scored three times as HJK beat VPS 6-0, the biggest margin the two sides have produced in the recent meetings between them. The midfielder finished with a match rating of 10.
Pukki opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Borchers added his first in the 17th and his second in the 38th, so HJK went in at half-time 3-0 ahead.
The second half brought no recovery for VPS. Borchers completed his hat-trick in the 53rd minute, Leonel Montano made it five in the 61st, and Alfie Cicale struck in the 71st. Cicale was playing his 78th and final minute shortly afterwards. No red cards disturbed the match.
The numbers
HJK had 20 shots to VPS's nine, and 10 of them hit the target against one from the visitors. Estimated expected goals read 2.55 to 0.84, so the scoreline ran well ahead of the chances created. Possession was 54% to 46%, while VPS won more corners, six to four.
Borchers had 52 touches and two key passes alongside his three goals. Montano, a defender, scored once, had two key passes and earned a rating of 9.5. Cicale also had two key passes and a rating of 8.6.
For VPS, goalkeeper Mamadou Jalloh made five saves and took a rating of 6.1.
What it means
HJK went into the match third on 45 points from 26 games, with a goal difference of plus 16. This result adds to a goal tally of 45 and lifts their recent scoring: 17 goals in the previous 10 matches, before these six.
VPS were sixth on 36 points, with their last 10 matches containing three wins and seven defeats. They had scored seven and conceded 18 in that spell, and they conceded six here.
In the head-to-head record HJK have won 31 of 48 meetings, with 10 draws and seven VPS wins. VPS had won the May meeting 2-1 before losing the July one by the same score.