The Estonian Cup Round of 16 delivered a major showdown as two of the country’s top clubs – and current Premium Liiga title contenders – went head-to-head. League leaders FC Flora Tallinn overcame fierce rivals FCI Levadia Tallinn with a 3-1 victory after extra time, securing their spot in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the competition, Pärnu JK Vaprus had to battle hard to avoid embarrassment against lower-league side Tallinna FC Zapoos, eventually winning 4-2 in a match far closer than expected.
Under the guidance of Konstantin Vassiljev, Flora made sweeping changes compared to their previous league match against Paide – retaining only two starters: Vladislav Kreida and 17-year-old Sander Alamaa. Levadia boss Curro Torres, on the other hand, fielded a slightly stronger lineup but also rotated heavily, showing both sides’ priority lies in the final two rounds of the league and the fight for the championship.
The first breakthrough came in the 36th minute, when Levadia defender Tanel Tammik unleashed a stunning long-range strike to put the visitors in front. After the break, both coaches strengthened their lineups with first-team regulars, and for a long time, it seemed Levadia would hold on for a narrow victory.
But in the 87th minute, young talent Sander Alamaa struck with a precise effort to level the score and force extra time – much to the delight of the home crowd.
Extra time belonged entirely to the experienced Sergei Zenjov. The 36-year-old veteran turned the game around, first giving Flora the lead in the 99th minute, then sealing the result in the 111th with a powerful header from Nikita Kalmõkov’s cross. Flora’s 3-1 win sends them confidently into the quarterfinals of the Estonian Cup.
The two clubs will quickly return to league action this weekend, as Flora host FC Kuressaare, while Levadia travel to face JK Narva Trans in their ongoing title chase.
In another Round of 16 encounter, Pärnu JK Vaprus found themselves in unexpected trouble against fourth-tier side Tallinna FC Zapoos. Vaprus appeared to be cruising early on after scoring twice within five minutes in the first half, but Oliver Karlson’s well-placed free kick halved the deficit before the break.
Disaster struck in the second half when Vaprus conceded an own goal after a defensive blunder, allowing Zapoos to equalize – raising hopes of a major cup upset. However, Joosep Poder restored the lead for the top-flight club just two minutes later, and Mathias Villota added a late insurance goal to secure a 4-2 victory and prevent what would have been one of the biggest shocks of the tournament.
In another all–Premium Liiga clash, Paide Linnameeskond delivered a dominant performance, comfortably dispatching Tartu JK Tammeka 3-0 to advance.
