Estonia ended their international calendar in emphatic fashion, overturning a pair of deficits to defeat Cyprus 4-2 in Limassol thanks to a spectacular late hat-trick from substitute Rauno Sappinen. The forward needed just 26 minutes on the pitch to single-handedly transform the match, delivering Estonia a much-needed morale boost to finish the year.
Just five days earlier, Jürgen Henn’s team had wrapped up their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-4 loss in Oslo, where Robi Saarma scored his first senior international goal. Against Cyprus, Henn made only two changes: 17-year-old Marten-Chris Paalberg received his first start for the national team, and Martin Vetkal returned to the XI for the first time since October 2024. Erko Jonne Tõugjas, meanwhile, played his first minutes for Estonia since March of 2024.
The opening stages were anything but comfortable. Estonia struggled to establish rhythm, and repeated defensive errors invited pressure. Cyprus eventually punished a poor back-pass in the 26th minute, with Evangelos Andreou firing into the top corner for 1-0. Estonia grew into the match and found an equaliser just before halftime when a dangerous corner forced Hector Kyprianou to turn the ball into his own net under pressure from Tõugjas.
The second half, however, began with another setback. A misplaced cross-field pass from Estonia gifted Cyprus possession in a dangerous area, allowing Andronikos Kakoullis to restore the hosts’ lead with a composed finish.
But everything changed with the introduction of Rauno Sappinen.
The forward immediately injected life into Estonia’s attack, and in the 78th minute he finished off a beautifully constructed counterattack orchestrated by Patrik Kristal and Markus Poom to make it 2-2. Minutes later, Estonia turned the game on its head: a corner from Kevor Palumets created chaos in the box, and the ball eventually bounced into the net, with Sappinen credited for applying the final touch.
The decisive moment arrived in the 87th minute. After a sharp pressing sequence led by Alex Matthias Tamm, Michael Schjønning-Larsen drove aggressively to the byline and delivered a low ball into the box. Sappinen met it calmly, slotting his finish between the goalkeeper’s legs to complete his hat-trick and cap Estonia’s 4-2 comeback.
It was Estonia’s first national-team hat-trick since October 2017, when Joonas Tamm scored three against Gibraltar.
Cyprus vs Estonia – 2:4 (1:1)
Goals: Andreou 16′ Kakoullis 48′ | Tougjas 44′, Sappinen 78′ 83′ 87′
