A three-match winning run in all competitions for KuPS came on Friday when they were held to a draw with the Veikkausliiga's bottom side, AC Oulu, with one eye perhaps already on the match with Milsami.
In front of a lively Vare Areena, the home side had the better of what was the first half of football in the entire 2025/26 UCL.
Petteri Pennanen drew two saves out of Emil Timbur, including a spectacular tip over the bar to meet a 20-yard drive, while Agon Sadiku planted an effort against the crossbar and had a penalty appeal turned down.
10 minutes after the break, Pennanen continued to lose his personal duel with Timbur, who denied the winger again, this time in a one-on-one situation.
17 minutes from time, the Kuopio side finally made the breakthrough when the ball fell kindly inside the box for Otto Ruoppi to fire home, and after a five-minute VAR check to see if there was an offside in the build-up, referee Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs eventually declared the goal stood.
Nabil Khali posed a threat for Milsami, but with only one effort on goal across the 90 minutes, the Moldovan visitors did not do enough to stop themselves falling to a first-leg defeat.
They will be hoping for better when they host the second leg in Orhei in a week's time, where a draw will be enough for KuPS to advance to the Seond Qualifying Round.
