In the most anticipated game of Matchday 9 in the Estonian Premium Liiga, Paide Linnameeskond came back from a goal down to hand FCI Levadia their first loss of the season with a score of 2:1.
Levadia had won seven of their first eight league matches, with their only non-win being a goalless draw against Flora in the Tallinn derby. In contrast, Paide had secured six victories in their first eight games, suffering two losses—one against Narva Trans in March and another against Flora the previous Friday.
Last season, the two teams met five times, with Levadia winning four of those matches, including a victory over Paide in the Estonian Cup final. However, in their last league encounter last November, Paide triumphed 3:0 against the defending champions.
Paide’s manager, Ivan Stojkovič, gave Nigerian midfielder Luqman Gilmore his first start of the season, while Levadia’s manager, Curro Torres, made two changes to the lineup, bringing back Alexandre and Joao Pedro.
Levadia started the match with more intensity. In the fourth minute, the hosts’ goalkeeper, Ebrima Jarju, blocked a close-range shot from Bubacarr Tambedou and in the 16th minute, Richie Musaba failed to convert a header into the goal. Paide momentarily responded, with winger Muhammed Suso seeing his shot blocked by Karl Andre Vallner.
Levadia was the first to score in the 31st minute when Enock Otoo broke through on the left wing and sent a shot into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area. Paide nearly equalized shortly afterward; Henrik Ojamaa’s shot from close range following a corner kick was headed off the line by Brent Lepistu.
The fast-paced game continued after the break, with Levadia maintaining the initiative. Paide had a penalty kick opportunity, but Martin Miller headed the ball wide after falling. Muhammed Suso, who broke into the penalty area, failed to convert a good chance.
In the 57th minute, Paide finally found a deserved equalizer. Ojamaa passed the ball from the left wing to the back post, allowing Robi Saarma to tap it in from close range. This goal seemed to energize Paide. At the hour mark, Otoo curled a free kick just past the crossbar, and moments later, Jarju blocked another long-range shot from him. Despite Levadia coming close to scoring in the next ten minutes, Paide struck decisively.
In the 79th minute, Paide’s goalkeeper Jarju sent a long ball into the opponents’ half. Levadia’s defenders, Edgar Tur and Brent Lepistu, collided, allowing Suso to find himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, which he calmly finished. Although Levadia had time to seek an equalizer, they failed to create significant threats, resulting in Curro Torres’s team suffering their first defeat of the season.
After nine rounds, the top of the Premium Liiga table is tightly contested, with Tallinn FCI Levadia holding 22 points, Paide Linnameeskond at 21 points, and Flora at 20 points.
Paide Linnameeskond vs FCI Levadia – 2:1 (0:1)
Goals: Saarma 57′, Suso 80′ | Otoo 31′
Yellow Card: Luts 74′, Suso 80′, Hoim 87′ | Alexandre 25′, Kirss 71′
PAI: Jarju – Lilander (Luts 56′), Delevic, Baranov, Saliste – Saarma (Badamosi 69′), Hoim, Gilmore (Gomis 81′), Suso – Miller, Ojamaa
LEV: Vallner – Tur, Peetson, Lepistu (Roosnupp 82′), Schjonning-Larsen – Alexandre (Mavretic 67′), Ainsalu – Pedro, Musaba (Agyiri 73′), Otoo – Tambedou (Gero 67′)
In another Premium Liiga match, Parnu JK Vaprus could not recover from a two-goal deficit against 10-man JK Narva Trans, suffering their third loss in the last four games, with a final score of 1:2.
Narva Trans took a two-goal lead in the first half: Pierre Kabore scored his third goal of the season in the 6th minute, followed by Mykhailo Kozhushko netting his first-ever Premium Liiga goal.
In the second half, Narva’s Shalva Burjanadze received a straight red card for a last-man tackle, leading to a penalty kick for that foul, which was converted by Henri Valja, marking his fifth goal of the season.
Vaprus had opportunities to tie the game thereafter, but Narva held on to secure their third win in the last four matches.
Parnu JK Vaprus vs JK Narva Trans – 1:2 (0:2)
Goals: Valja 52′ (Penalty kick) | Kabore 6′, Kozhushko 24′
Yellow Card: Madissoo 31′, Mat.Villota 60′, Veensalu 73′ | Santos 19′, Ivanyushin 34′, Filatov 67′, Agaptsev 72′, Bondar 75′, Žuravljov 90+1′ Red Card: Mat.Villota 80′ | Burjanadze 50′
PAR: Nomm – Lipp, Mag.Villota, Seppik (Veensalu 46′) – Madissoo (Vallik 46′) – Sild, Mat.Villota, Aloe – Kapper – Valja, Pajo
NAR: Matrossov – Burjanadze, Campagna, Santos – Ivanyushin, Žuravljov, Filatov – Agaptsev (Correia 80′), Maksimkin – Kabore (Viidas 63′), Kozhushko (Bondar 55′)
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FCI Levadia | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 25 |
| 2 | FC Flora | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 23 |
| 3 | Nõmme Kalju | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 22 |
| 4 | Paide | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 22 |
| 5 | Narva Trans | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 19 |
| 6 | Harju JK | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | -8 | 13 |
| 7 | Pärnu Vaprus | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | -3 | 11 |
| 8 | FC Kuressaare | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | -10 | 10 |
| 9 | Tammeka Tartu | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -18 | 7 |
| 10 | Tallinna Kalev | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -25 | 7 |