Women's World Cup standings

Poutiainen, 24, finished 0.35sec behind Sweden's Anja Paerson, who finished in one minute 32.38 seconds.

Janica Kostelic of Croatia was second, 0.28sec behind Paerson, while Americans Sarah Schleper and Kristina Koznick finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Paerson was the tour's overall winner last season but this was her first slalom win of the campaign.

With just one World Cup slalom remaining, Poutiainen has 520 points with her closest challenger - Austria's Marlies Schild, who finished seventh - on 376 points.

"I'm really delighted," Poutiainen said. "It has been my dream to get a title and now it has really happened.

"Year by year I've been going forward but once I decided to be a professional and to really make an effort then I always believed I could be the best in the world."

It is nice to get in shape before the World Championships Anja Paerson

Poutiainen also holds a narrow lead in the overall World Cup standings, on 902 points, ahead of Kostelic (879) and Paerson (856)

The 24-year-old Finn finished fourth in the slalom standings last season.

But this term she has produced remarkable consistency, winning three races in the technical discipline and only once - at Santa Caterina - failing to finish on the podium.

As for Paerson, she has now won five consecutive slaloms at Maribor.

Her latest gave her a timely boost in confidence ahead of the World Championships in Bormio and Santa Caterina starting next weekend.

"It has been a frustrating season for me really and so it is nice to get in shape before the World Championships," she said.

"This is a special place for me and after I produced a nice technical run in the first leg I felt relaxed and confident."

Maribor slalom result:

1. Anja Paerson (Swe) 1 minute 32.38 seconds
2. Janica Kostelic (Cro) 1:32.66
3. Tanja Poutiainen (Fin) 1:32.73
4. Sarah Schleper (USA) 1:33.13
5. Kristina Koznick (USA) 1:33.15
6. Kathrin Zettel (Aut) 1:33.64
7. Marlies Schild (Aut) 1:33.68
8. Sarka Zahrobska (Cze) 1:33.74
9. Laure Pequegnot (Fra) 1:33.75
10. Sonja Nef (Swi) 1:33.88