In the final match of Premium Liiga Matchday 3, Daniel Cabral converted a penalty in the 17th minute of stoppage time as Paide Linnameeskond rescued a dramatic 2-2 draw against FCI Levadia in one of the most chaotic finishes of the recent years by far.
Levadia struck first in the 17th minute with a moment of real quality. A high cross from the left found Mihkel Ainsalu, who met the ball first time from just outside the box and rifled a superb volley into the far corner to put the hosts 1-0 in front. It was a spectacular finish in a match that had offered very little before then.
For long stretches of the first half, neither side truly imposed itself. Paide struggled to create attacking rhythm, while Levadia controlled possession without generating sustained pressure. Still, just when it looked like the home side would carry their lead into the break, Paide found an equaliser out of almost nothing. In the 45th minute, Siim Luts delivered a cross into the area and veteran striker Henri Anier rose between the defenders to head home from close range, making it 1-1 right before half-time.
The second half opened with more physical intensity than fluency. Paide tried to sharpen their attack through substitutions, while Levadia looked for openings mainly through transitions and set-piece situations. The game briefly descended into controversy when Anier was struck in the head during a duel with Iboro, though no card followed despite angry appeals.
As the match wore on, both teams pushed harder for a winner. Paide had moments of encouragement, but Levadia regained the lead in the 71st minute through another brilliant strike from Ainsalu. A diagonal pass found him in space, and the midfielder controlled the ball before smashing a stunning effort from outside the area into the top corner for his second goal of the afternoon.
What followed in the closing minutes will likely go down as one of the most bizarre endings in recent Estonian football – a sequence that perfectly highlighted both the precision and controversy of the VAR era.
In the 90+5th minute, it seemed the match was decided when Moussa Sambe finished off a counterattack to make it 3-1 for Levadia. However, the celebrations were short-lived. A VAR review identified a foul moments earlier – not in attack, but near Levadia’s own penalty area. Instead of a goal, Paide were awarded a free-kick.
Cabral stepped up and struck the bar, with the rebound cleared away. But the drama did not end there.
VAR then reviewed whether the ball had crossed the line – ruling that it had not – before shifting focus once more. In a further twist, officials determined that Victory Iboro had committed a foul on Nikita Baranov while attempting to clear the ball, resulting in a penalty for Paide.
Up stepped Cabral again. In the 17th minute of stoppage time, he made no mistake, blasting the ball into the net to level the score at 2-2 and spark wild celebrations and saving Paide for the second game in a row.
Remarkably, none of this would have unfolded had Sambe not scored initially. Without that goal, VAR would not have been able to intervene to review the earlier foul, meaning Paide’s equaliser – and the entire sequence – would never have happened.
In the end, Levadia were left stunned after seeing a two-goal swing against them in the dying moments, while Paide once again relied on Cabral’s composure under pressure to salvage a point in extraordinary fashion.
FCI Levadia vs Paide Linnameeskond – 2-2 (1-1)
Goals: Ainsalu 17′ 71′ | Anier 45′ Cabral 90+17′ (Penalty kick)
Round 3
Tartu
Kuressaare
Pärnu Vaprus
FC Flora
Paide| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nõmme Kalju |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| 2 | FCI Levadia |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Harju |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Paide |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Nõmme United |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | FC Flora |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Tartu |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 3 |
| 8 | Narva Trans |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 9 | Kuressaare |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 3 |
| 10 | Pärnu Vaprus |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 3 |
