FC Flora suffered their second consecutive setback in the Premium liiga, losing 1–3 to Nõmme Kalju in Sunday’s clash. The result, secured by a spectacular brace from Ukrainian Oleksandr Musolitin, means Flora’s lead at the top of the table could evaporate, with Levadia still to play Tallinna Kalev later today and likely to close the 3 point gap.
The first half was evenly balanced, with Flora taking the lead through Sander Alamaa after Rauno Sappinen’s effort was deflected into his path. Kalju quickly equalised when Musolitin curved a free kick into the top corner from 18 metres.
After the break, Kalju created the better chances, and Musolitin struck again in the 83rd minute, this time from open play with another long-range shot into the top corner. Mattias Männilaan ensured victory in the closing minutes.
During post-match interview with soccernet.ee, Flora head coach Konstantin Vassiljev admitted his side lacked focus at key moments: “We lost concentration, lost two or three duels in the box, and the opponent took advantage. In the second half it was about who scored first, and, unfortunately, they did.”
Vassiljev rotated his starting XI compared to the midweek 2-3 defeat at the hands of city rivals Levadia, introducing Markus Poom and Tristan Toomas Teeväli in midfield, while Deivid Andreas and Vladislav Kreida started on the bench. He explained the changes as a bid for freshness, though substitutions later in the game did not alter the flow.
“Our ball play, especially in the second half, was not confident enough in the build-up. That is perhaps the biggest question mark we must solve,” Vassiljev added.
Flora remain top of the table, but their advantage over Levadia is now just three points — with the gap potentially disappearing by the end of day, once Levadia and bottom place Kalev complete their fixture.
Source: https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/vassiljev-ebakindlus-palliga-on-suurim-kusimark-mida-on-vaja-lahendada
