Estonian champions Flora Tallinn will travel to Georgia with work to do after suffering a 2-3 home defeat to Georgian champions Iberia 1999 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie.
Backed by just over 2,000 spectators at A. Le Coq Arena, Flora endured a difficult opening half-hour as the Georgian champions immediately showed why they currently lead the Erovnuli Liga.
The visitors created the first dangerous opportunities, forcing Evert Grünvald into an early save before Vakho Bedoshvili repeatedly caused problems down the right flank.
Their pressure eventually paid off in the 18th minute. Bedoshvili’s cross initially looked overhit, but the ball reached Zviad Natchkebia at the far side of the penalty area, and the forward fired an unstoppable effort into the far top corner to give Iberia a deserved lead.
Only three minutes later the visitors doubled their advantage. After Andria Bartishvili danced through the Flora defence, the referee awarded Iberia a penalty following a challenge inside the box. Captain Jemal-Giorgi Jinjolava calmly converted from the spot to make it 2-0 after just 21 minutes.
Flora gradually settled into the match and found a route back before the interval.
Winning possession high up the pitch, the hosts sustained pressure around the Iberia penalty area before the ball fell kindly to Vladislav Kreida some 25 metres from goal. The midfielder unleashed a superb low strike into the bottom corner in the 28th minute to halve the deficit and breathe new life into the contest.
The Estonian champions almost created another opening moments later when Sander Alamaa threaded an excellent through ball towards Rauno Sappinen, although the striker was unable to get a clean effort away from a narrowing angle.
Iberia thought they had restored their two-goal cushion shortly before half-time when Bartishvili beat his defender and finished clinically into the corner. However, a lengthy VAR review ruled the goal out for handball in the build-up, allowing Flora to head into the break trailing by just one goal.
The home side continued to grow into the match after the restart. Alamaa forced Giorgi Makaridze into an excellent save from close range before Sergei Zenjov earned a dangerous corner as Flora began to pin the visitors deeper inside their own half.
The turning point came just after the hour mark. A misplaced back pass from Mihhail Kolobov forced Airon Kollo into an emergency challenge on Natskhhebia. Initially shown a yellow card, Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumšas was instructed to review the incident on the pitchside monitor before upgrading the punishment to a straight red card, reducing Flora to ten men in the 63rd minute.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Flora produced their best spell of the evening. Sustained pressure finally brought an equaliser in the 73rd minute. Danil Kuraksin released Zenjov down the right wing, and the veteran delivered a dangerous cross towards the far post where Sander Alamaa arrived to finish first time and make it 2-2.
The celebrations lasted barely two minutes. Iberia immediately won a corner, and Jinjolava’s delivery found Bakar Kardava, who escaped his marker to head home from close range and restore the Georgian champions’ lead at 3-2.
Flora continued to battle despite being a man down, but Iberia controlled possession throughout the closing stages and prevented the Estonian champions from creating another clear-cut opportunity. Grünvald still had to make an important save in stoppage time to deny Jinjolava from extending the visitors’ advantage.
The defeat leaves Flora with a difficult task ahead of next week’s return leg in Tbilisi. The winner of the tie will advance to the second qualifying round to face the Slovan Bratislava, while the losing side will continue their European campaign in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round.
FC Flora Tallinn vs Iberia 1999 – 2-3 (1-2)
Goals: Kreida 28′, Alamaa 73′ | Natchkebia 18′, Jinjolava 21′ (Penalty Kick), Kardava 75′
