On Thursday night, KuPS will host Trabzonspor in Finland for their inaugural match in the 2026-27 UEFA Conference League group stage. This marks the Turkish club's first venture into Europe’s third-tier competition. The Finnish champions earned their spot in the group phase by narrowly defeating Shamrock Rovers in the qualifying rounds, while Trabzonspor fell to the Conference League after suffering a 5-0 aggregate loss to Ferencvaros in the Europa League qualifiers. KuPS is entering their European journey during a challenging period in their domestic league, as Miika Nuutinen's team has struggled with consistency in the Veikkausliiga, making their title defense difficult. Their only win in the last seven league matches came from a 2-0 triumph over VPS, but they subsequently faced two consecutive defeats, losing 1-0 at home to AC Oulu and then again by the same scoreline away to Inter Turku. Despite their recent struggles, KuPS will look to find some positivity in their European campaign. Their path to the league phase was not easy; they drew 1-1 in the first leg against Shamrock Rovers before securing a 1-0 victory in the second leg, which allowed them to advance. This came after they were eliminated from the Champions League by Sabah Baku and the Europa League by Universitatea Craiova. Additionally, KuPS will need to adjust to playing at Tammelan Stadion in Tampere instead of their usual home in Kuopio as they face Trabzonspor for the first time ever. They have previously faced Turkish teams twice, achieving one win and one loss. Trabzonspor, on the other hand, will aim to capitalize on this opportunity, arriving with momentum after winning two competitive matches in a row over the weekend.