In the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, Estonian champions FCI Levadia claimed a vital 1–0 home win over Georgian champions Iberia 1999. The winning goal came late in the match, courtesy of Ernest Agyiri, giving Levadia a narrow advantage ahead of the return leg in Georgia.
Levadia’s starting lineup featured Vallner in goal, a defense of Schjönning-Larsen, Tammik, Iboro, and Tur, a midfield duo of Ainsalu and Mavretič, and an attacking quartet of Agyiri, Joao Pedro, Richie Musaba, and Bubacarr Tambedou. Pedro operated centrally behind Musaba, with Tambedou and Agyiri on the wings.
Early in the match, Tambedou received a yellow card for a foul near the box. Iberia then began to take control, with several dangerous chances. Silagadze missed a clear one-on-one opportunity in the 19th minute after being set up by goalkeeper Makaridze. Tabatadze also failed to convert a free shot in the 29th minute.
Levadia’s only notable attempts came through Agyiri and Pedro, but neither could find the target. The Estonian side was lucky to reach halftime level, as Iberia could easily have led 2–0 or 3–0 had they been more clinical in front of goal.
The home side made a substitution at halftime, replacing Tambedou with Roosnupp. In the second half, Mavretič picked up a yellow card early on. Vallner continued to impress in goal, saving a crucial one-on-one chance against Tabatadze in the 54th minute. Iberia thought they had scored in the 60th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Roosnupp came close with a curling effort that narrowly missed the post in the 69th minute. While the first shot on target came in the 73rd minute, when Agyiri forced a low save from Makaridze.
Finally, in the closing stages, Agyiri made the difference. He cut in from the right wing and fired a low shot from a tight angle. Makaridze misjudged the effort, and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Levadia nearly doubled the lead late on when Kirss scored from a Pedro assist, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Levadia will now head to Georgia with a slender one-goal lead. It was far from a flawless performance—Levadia relied heavily on Vallner’s heroics and Iberia’s wastefulness—but in European football, even the smallest advantage can prove decisive.
Earlier in the competition, Levadia were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by FC RFS, losing 0–2 on aggregate. Iberia, formerly known as Saburtalo, were eliminated by Swedish champions Malmö after two 1–3 defeats. The winner will face either The New Saints (Wales) or Differdange (Luxembourg) in the next round. For the loser, the European journey will end.
FCI Levadia vs Iberia 1999 – 1:0 (0:0)
Goals: Agyiri 80′
LEV: Vallner, Tur, Iboro, Tammik (Peetson 76′), Schjonning-Larsen, Musaba (Kirss 68′), Ainsalu (Alexandre 82′), Mavretic (Torres 68′), Agyiri, Tambedou (Roosnupp 46′), Joao Pedro
IBE: Makaridze, Zohouri, Agyakwa, Jgerenaia, Kobuladze, Kardava, Dadiani (Vrbanec 84′), Klas (Goshteliani 71′), Silagadze (Akhvlediani 84′), Dzagania (Rusevic 84′), Tabatadze (Sikharulidze 84′)
