FCI Levadia took a significant step forward in their UEFA Conference League campaign with a dramatic 3-2 away win over FC Differdange 03 in the first leg of the third qualifying round.
Fresh off a nail-biting second-round tie against FC Iberia 1999 – settled only in extra time thanks to a late goal from Robert Kirss – the Estonian champions entered this game with confidence, though head coach Curro Torres was absent from the touchline due to suspension. His assistant, Jose Navarro, took over managerial duties for the evening.
There was only one change in Levadia’s starting XI from the previous round: Carlos Torres, the coach’s son, stepped in for Ernest Agyiri and quickly justified his selection with a composed and creative display in midfield.
Levadia began with control and patience, favoring short passes and calm buildup play. It didn’t take long for that to pay off. In the 14th minute, Richie Musaba pounced on a defensive error and lobbed the ball over the 41-year-old Differdange goalkeeper, Felipe, to open the scoring.
Just two minutes later, however, a careless mistake in Levadia’s own half allowed 35-year-old striker Samir Hadji to equalize for the hosts. The frantic start continued: in the 20th minute, Musaba’s shot hit the post and rebounded kindly for Mihkel Ainsalu, who made no mistake to restore Levadia’s lead.
The rest of the first half remained lively, though injuries started to pile up for the visitors. Til Mavretic was forced off with an apparent knock and was replaced by Alexandre – who, in an unfortunate turn, later left the pitch on a stretcher after a bad challenge.
The second half followed a similar pattern: open, physical, and packed with action. Musaba once again made the difference in the 52nd minute, skipping past his marker and firing into the near post to make it 3–1.
But Differdange weren’t done. Another sharp delivery from the right wing found Hadji in the box, and he slotted home his second of the night in the 60th minute to cut the lead to one.
From there, it was a tense final half hour. Levadia had several chances to kill the game off but couldn’t find a fourth. At the other end, the Estonian defense held together under pressure, with key interventions from substitutes like Tanel Tammik helping preserve the result.
Despite the nervy finish, Levadia left Luxembourg with a crucial win and three away goals – a solid foundation ahead of the return leg in Tallinn.
FC Differdange 03 vs FCI Levadia – 2:3 (1:2)
Goals: Hadji 17′ 60′ | Musaba 14′ 52′ Ainsalu 20′
LEV: Vallner, Schjonning-Larsen (Tammik 71′), Peetson, Iboro, Tur, Mavretic (Alexandre 44′, Tambedou 71′), Ainsalu, Torres, Roosnupp (Kirss 90′), Musaba, Joao Pedro (Zakarlyuka 90′)
