Today in the UEFA Conference League knockout phase play-off first leg game, Alex Matthias Tamm and Justas Lasickas NK Olimpija Ljubljana suffered a defeat away from home against the defending Bosnian league champions FK Borac Banja Luka 0-1.
NK Olimpija Ljubljana finished the league phase in 14th place with ten points, while their opponents, Borac, were in 20th place with two fewer points.
Estonian forward Alex Matthias Tamm, who joined Olimpija during the winter transfer window, had already made an impact by scoring twice and providing one assist in his first two league games for the club. He was registered for this play-off round, while his Lithuanian teammate, defender Justas Lasickas, appeared in four out of the six league phase matches for the Slovenian side.
Tamm started the match, which was not surprising given his recent form, while Lasickas began on the bench.
— NK Olimpija Ljubljana (@nkolimpija) February 13, 2025
Zasedba Zmajev! #BorOli pic.twitter.com/z5FOP60D6p
The game unfolded with Olimpija dominating possession, but neither team could find the breakthrough goal in the first half, as Borac’s defense held strong and compact.
At the start of the second half, Alex Tamm had his first shot on target, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. Four minutes later, Olimpija received a tough blow when VAR reviewed an incident and determined that their player, Florucz, had struck an opponent in the face. This resulted in a straight red card, which the on-field referee had missed.
With Olimpija down to ten men, the manager called upon Justas Lasickas in the 60th minute to strengthen the defense. Borac took control of the game, creating several dangerous chances, while Tamm responded with another shot on target, which was once again saved.
In the 84th minute, it looked like Borac’s pressure paid off as they earned a penalty. However, Despotovic’s kick to the bottom right corner was brilliantly saved by Vidovšek, keeping the match goalless. Unfortunately for Olimpija, Borac Banja Luka found the winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time. A cross from Vukošic reached Sandi Ogrinec at the back post, who scored from close range to make it 1-0.
Alex Matthias Tamm was substituted off in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Moments later, Justas Lasickas attempted to be the hero for the Slovenian side, but his last-minute shot was saved by the goalkeeper, sealing the victory for Borac Banja Luka in the first-leg match.
Konec.
— NK Olimpija Ljubljana (@nkolimpija) February 13, 2025
Borac 1-0 Olimpija#UefaEuropaConferenceLeague | #ZelenoSrcepic.twitter.com/6fCvnCgXBo
The second leg match for Alex Tamm and Justas Lasickas against the Bosnian side will occur next Thursday in Slovenia.