The Estonian Premium Liiga title race could take a major turn on Wednesday night as fierce city rivals FC Flora and FCI Levadia meet for the final Tallinn derby of the season in the rescheduled Matchday 23 match. Kick-off at A. Le Coq Arena is set for 19:00, and the stakes could hardly be higher.
With just seven rounds remaining, Flora sit six points clear at the top of the table. Levadia, the defending champions, find themselves under mounting pressure following back-to-back defeats – first a 1-3 loss to Flora last week, then a 1-2 defeat to Nõmme Kalju. Flora, meanwhile, kept up their momentum with a dramatic 2-1 win over Tartu Tammeka on Saturday, secured by Rauno Sappinen’s 90th-minute strike.
Title Math Is Simple
A Flora win would extend their lead to nine points and all but end Levadia’s hopes of retaining the title. A draw would keep the gap at six, while a Levadia win would reduce it to three, reigniting the championship race.
Complicating matters for Levadia is the head-to-head record. Flora have already won two of the three meetings between the sides this season, with the other ending in a draw. Even if Levadia win tonight, they will still trail Flora in the key tiebreaker, should the sides finish level on points.
Worse yet, another defeat could see Levadia slip into a battle for second place. Paide Linnameeskond are just five points behind in third, and Nõmme Kalju could draw level with Paide if they win their match against Harju JK Laagri.
Torres: “We Have No Choice but to Win”
Levadia head coach Curro Torres is fully aware of the situation. Speaking ahead of the match, the Spaniard made it clear that anything less than three points would not be good enough.
“This is a decisive match for us. If we want to stay in the title race, we have to win – there’s no way around it,” Torres said.
Rather than deflect blame, he accepted responsibility for the team’s recent drop in form. “We’ve allowed important points to slip through our hands. That’s on me. I’m the one accountable for where we are,” he added.
Asked whether he’s concerned about his job, Torres was defiant: “Fear has never been part of my life. That’s the mindset I expect from my players as well. Football is meant to be played under pressure.”
Despite Flora’s strong form, Torres remains convinced of his team’s quality: “I respect Flora, but in my view, we’re the strongest side in the league. We have to show that on the pitch.”
Vassiljev: “We Won’t Play for a Draw”
On the other side of the rivalry, Flora manager Konstantin Vassiljev is not planning to sit back and protect the lead. Although Flora could afford a draw, Vassiljev dismissed the idea of a defensive approach.
“If we go into this match cautiously, we’ll lose. This is a derby – everything must be put on the line,” he stated.
Flora made several changes in their win over Tammeka, resting key players like Kristo Hussar and starting Sappinen on the bench. Vassiljev explained that the decisions were more about squad management than tactical preparation for the derby.
“Hussar is coming back from injury, so playing every three days doesn’t make sense for him. Rauno plays nearly every game, so he was given a bit of rest. He was ready to come in and did so when needed. Other players deserved their opportunities as well,” said the coach.
With the exception of goalkeeper Evert Grünvald, Flora have a full squad available for the derby.
Despite his team’s strong position, Vassiljev warned against any premature celebrations.
“There’s still a long way to go. We have an international break coming up, and every team in the league is capable of surprising. It would be a mistake to think that anything is already decided,” he said.
Looking back at earlier stages of the season, when Levadia were leading the table, Vassiljev noted that Flora’s mentality remained unchanged.
“Our approach has always been to win every game. If the opportunity arises to overtake a rival, we must be ready to take it. So far, we’ve done our job well, but whether we can do it until the end depends entirely on us.”
The game inside the A. Le Coq Arena is set for 19:00.
Premium Liiga Matchday 23:
- 09.08.2025 – FC Kuressaare vs Harju JK Laagri – 1:3
- 09.08.2025 – JK Narva Trans vs Tartu JK Tammeka – 4:1
- 09.08.2025 – Paide Linnameeskond vs JK Tallinna Kalev – 2:2
- 10.08.2025– Nõmme Kalju FC vs Pärnu JK Vaprus – 1:2
- 24.09.2025 – FC Flora Tallinn vs FCI Levaida – 19:30
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FC Flora | 36 | 26 | 4 | 6 | 53 | 82 |
| 2 | FCI Levadia | 36 | 25 | 4 | 7 | 55 | 79 |
| 3 | Nõmme Kalju | 36 | 23 | 5 | 8 | 32 | 74 |
| 4 | Paide | 36 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 31 | 70 |
| 5 | Narva Trans | 36 | 15 | 6 | 15 | -1 | 51 |
| 6 | Pärnu Vaprus | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 49 |
| 7 | Harju JK | 36 | 10 | 6 | 20 | -21 | 36 |
| 8 | Tammeka Tartu | 36 | 9 | 3 | 24 | -36 | 30 |
| 9 | FC Kuressaare | 36 | 8 | 4 | 24 | -35 | 28 |
| 10 | Tallinna Kalev | 36 | 5 | 2 | 29 | -81 | 17 |
Source: https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/vassiljev-ei-kavatse-minna-levadia-vastu-viiki-hoidma-kui-mangime-ettevaatlikult-siis-kindlasti-kaotame
https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/curro-torres-tekkinud-olukorra-eest-vastutan-ilmselgelt-mina
